A Longlost Friendship
by Gryphex
Summary: The closest of friends are torn apart and don't see each other for years. What happens when they are reunited? Will a mere friendship become something much much more? The first couple of chapters are kinda dull, but it's worth it! SasuxOc
1. A Funny Feeling

Chapter 1

Toshiro woke and greeted the morning with a yawn. She blinked and rose from her bed. She strode to the window and looked at Japan's beautiful countryside thinking_, 'How calm it is…'_ She breathed in deeply and smiled, but it soon faded away. Something felt… different. _'Nothing's wrong today… everything's fine.'_ The smile reappeared and Toshiro walked out her bedroom door. She saw her father and older sister sitting at the kitchen table.

"Good morning Father!" Toshiro called as she greeted her father.

"And a good morning to you Toshiro." He looked into her green eyes, "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no," Toshiro answered as happy as ever, "Looking out the window this morning I saw how beautiful it is today. But, there was something that didn't feel right…"

"Hmm," Toshiro's father puzzled, "I don't sense anything out of place."

"Hmph…"

Toshiro remembered that her older sister was sitting at the table too, "Good morning, Izanami!" Izunami ignored her. "Uh… never mind. Father? Where is-"

"Good morning Sister!" a high pitched voice chirped.

"Ai!" Toshiro picked up her younger sister and gave her a hug, "Good morning!" Toshiro smiled widely and placed Ai back on the ground. She reached her hand into her pocket, "I almost forgot…" Toshiro said pulling out a wrapped package and handing it to Ai. "Happy 7th Birthday Ai!"

Ai's eyes widened, "Oh arigato gozimasu Sister!" She grasped the package and ripped it open. She then opened the unwrapped chest. "Arigato, arigato, arigato Sister!"

Their father reached his hand out for the chest to see the contents, "What did Toshiro get for you Ai?"

Ai almost couldn't get the words out because she was so excited, "Kunai! My first set of kunai!" Izunami's eyes widened ever so slightly, but went right back to normal seconds later. Ai continued, "This is the best gift I've ever gotten on my birthday!... Oh, uh, gomen nasai Father…"

"Perfectly alright Ai, perfectly fine," their father chuckled, "I felt the same way when I first got my first set of kunai."

"Oh, really? Wow… well anyways… arigato Sister! Arigato gozimasu!" Toshiro laughed, "You're welcome Ai." Ai went to the table and began examining the kunai up close. Toshiro sniffed the air, "What's that smell Father?"

"Your mother is in the kitchen making breakfast, I believe."

"Ii yo. Arigato. I'm going to go help her," Toshiro said as she walked threw the kitchen door. "Good morning Mother! Can I help you with breakfast?"

Toshiro's mother turned around and smiled, "Arigato Toshiro. Could you get the eggs out of the fridge onesai?"

"Sure!" Toshiro pulled open the fridge door and examined the contents, "Uh, Mother… I'm sorry, we have eggs but not enough for everyone."

Toshiro's mother sighed, "So that's what I forgot to get at the grocery store yesterday! Well, I guess that we'll just have to-"

Toshiro interrupted, "Mother I can have toast instead of eggs. It's fine really…"

"Are you sure?" Toshiro nodded. "… Ii yo…"

"Oh, I almost forgot… I was wondering if I could train today in the targeting range."

Toshiro's mother turned around, "You going by yourself?"

Toshiro shifted her gaze to the floor, "No…"

She turned and met Toshiro's gaze, "Who's going with you?"

Toshiro blushed slightly, "Uh… heh… Sasuke."

"Oh, Sasuke? Isn't that the little Uchiha boy that you _like_ so much?"

"Mother!" Toshiro burst out as she crossed her arms and stomped a foot. She blushed a dozen shades of red.

Toshiro's mother was smiling widely, "I was just kidding… ease up a little Toshiro."

"Ii yo…" Toshiro's smile returned, "So can I go? Onesai?"

"Alright...but don't stay out too late."

"Arigato Mother! Arigato gozimasu!"

Toshiro's mother smiled. "Here is your lunch and here is your toast. Go on now and have fun! Don't forget your kunai now!"

"I won't!" Toshiro gave her mother a hug, "See you later!"

Toshiro walked out of the kitchen, and back to her room. She ate one of the pieces of toast and set the other down. 'Now where did I put my kunai? Oh wait . . . here they are.' Toshiro pulled a small pouch out of her dresser and attached it around her right leg. She then ate the other piece of toast as she walked out of her room, down the hall, and into the dining room where Izanami and her father were still sitting.

"Goodbye Father! Ai! Izunami!"

Her father stopped her, "Wait! Where are you going?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I am going to meet up with Sasuke and train with him. We're going to the targeting range."

Toshiro looked up in utter frustration as she heard Ai making kissing noises at her. "Urusai..." But as it continued, "Urusai Ai!" Toshiro lunged at her sister but Ai jumped out of the way. Toshiro ended up grabbing hold of the chair that Ai had been in seconds before. "Nee!" Toshiro heard her sister's continuous stream of giggles coming from the hallway. Toshiro looked back at the table and shouted, "Ai, you forgot your kunai!" Ai quickly ran in avoiding Toshiro to the best of her ability and running out with her kunai in hand. She then disappeared into her room. Toshiro mumbled, "You annoying little…"

Toshiro's father chuckled, "Sasuke eh?"

"No, not you too… Mother, Ai, now you? How could this get any worse?"

Izunami glared at Toshiro threw her thick, black hair, _'Oh, It could get worse… way worse little sister…'_ Toshiro meet Izanami's green-eyed stare, "Something wrong Izunami?"

The cold, unblinking stare continued for a moment, but was soon broken after that.

"… nothing…"

Toshiro sent her a concerned look. "Ii yo… I guess…" She turned to her father, "I'll be going now… good bye Father!" She hugged him, "I love you!" She quickly corrected herself. "Both of you!" Izunami's open eyes twitched slightly and closed. "I'll be back later…" She stood up and strode out the front door.

'_Sister?'_ "I …uh…" Toshiro lowered her eyes. _'What's wrong with Izunami? Have I done something?'_

"Don't trouble yourself Toshiro. She'll be back to normal sooner or later. Just go meet up with Sasuke and have fun training today." Toshiro's smile returned, "Ii yo Father… see you later!"

"Sayonara, Toshiro."

Toshiro stepped out the door and shut it behind her. She walked down the little path to the main road. _'What's this funny feeling? It's almost like something is going to change.' _Toshiro walked over to the bench and sat down. This was where Sasuke said that he would meet Toshiro. She was there for about five minutes when the feeling came back. But… this time, it was stronger. Toshiro squeezed her eyes shut trying to ease the pain. She leaned over and placed her head in her hands. After a few more moments, the feeling went away. Toshiro just sat there, trying to recover from the pain. She sighed and closed her eyes. _'I just hope it doesn't come back again…'_ Toshiro crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the back of the bench, the after-effects of the feeling still coursing threw her body.

Toshiro felt something brush up behind her. Her eyes snapped wide open and she jumped off the bench. Her hand flew to her pouch of kunai as she spun around in surprise. She came face to face with a boy her age in a black shirt with a large collar, white shorts, and spiky black hair with a hint of a navy blue.

"Sasuke?"

"Sorry, did I startle you?"

"Oh . . . I thought you were someone else . . . heh."

Sasuke shrugged. "No, just me . . ."

Toshiro smiled, "Oh yeah . . . Ii yo." She looked down.

"What's wrong Toshiro?"

She met Sasuke's gaze, "Just a funny feeling. That's all..."

"When?" Sasuke asked her, curiously.

"Just after I left my house. And Izanami looked more grouchy than ever. She said there was nothing wrong, but I knew better."

Sasuke watched a leaf fall to the ground. "… brother has been the same way…"

Toshiro noted, "Hai, I know… Izunami has gotten really distant lately."

"But no matter how much I try he doesn't change. He rarely talks to me anymore."

Toshiro agreed, "It's the same with Izunami…" She sighed. "Oh, did your brother ever train with you like he promised he would?"

"Nah, I found him in the targeting range by himself. I ran in, but he shooed me away. But not before poking me in the head." Sasuke rubbed his forehead and smiled. "Heh… well, do you want to go and train now?"

"Nani? Oh uh, yeah." Toshiro's smile returned. "The targeting range right?"

Sasuke nodded, "Hai."

"Ii yo." Toshiro stood and started walking. Sasuke did the same.

10 minutes later…

Toshiro recognized the twelve red and white targets pinned to the trees. She also noticed the newest indents in them. _'So Itachi HAS been here. He even got the target in the very back behind that huge rock! Wow! Almost no one has ever gotten it before!'_

Sasuke saw what Toshiro was looking at. "Oh that. I was here when Itachi did that."

Toshiro looked back at Sasuke. "How did he accomplish something like that?"

"He threw two kunai, one at a time. After throwing the first, he threw a second. That redirected its original path therefore hitting the target below." Sasuke smiled upon seeing Toshiro's confused look. "I'll try and show you."

Sasuke stepped into the center of the targets. He pulled out two kunai and threw one of them at a target. Just before it struck, Sasuke threw the second kunai. It bumped into the first kunai and the first kunai went shooting downwards. The second kunai hit the target originally intended for the first and lodged into it. Sasuke watched in anticipation, but hit his head as in missed and hit the ground, three inches away from the target.

'_Kuso! Not again!'_ Sasuke thought.

"Oh I get it! The second kunai changes the direction of the first allowing it to hit a completely different target! Awesome! I wanna try!"

Sasuke mumbled to himself, "I got this from brother two weeks ago and I still can't get it. But it only took him an hour to learn!"

"Toshiro heard him. "Practice makes perfect, Sasuke."

Sasuke sent Toshiro an annoyed look. "Tell me something I don't know."

Toshiro shrugged. "I just wanted to annoy you . . ."

Sasuke ignored her. _'You just stand there and it sometimes annoys me…'_

"… I wanna try that!"

"Be my guest and miss." Sasuke pulled his kunai out of the tree and the ground and leaned himself against a tree to watch.

Toshiro now stepped into the center and pulled two kunai out of her pouch. Toshiro inhaled, and launched the first of her kunai. She watched for the opportune moment, and loosed the second kunai. It flew straight as an arrow hitting the first kunai, imbedding into the target ahead. Toshiro's gaze switched and locked onto the first kunai. As it hit the target, Toshiro burst into a wide grin, and looked at Sasuke who was flabbergasted. He looked away, annoyed. "Beginners luck . . ."

"So you say… ha! First try!"

"Stop it!"

"Ha! You've been practicing it for two weeks and I got it on my first try!"

"Urusai!"

"Meh… fine… but I got it first!"

Sasuke quit arguing and pulled the kunai out of the tree over his head. He tossed it to Toshiro. "Quit your bragging. You never would have gotten it if I hadn't shown you how to do it!"

Toshiro walked over to Sasuke. "Oh yeah, heh. Well then I guess I owe you my thanks."

Sasuke turned and smiled to himself. _'You can't take ALL the credit.'_

Toshiro used this to her advantage. She charged at Sasuke and gave him a hug.

"Thank you Sasuke-chan!" She took him completely by surprise.

"Get off me! Go away!"

Nani? But you invited me to train with you today!"

"Train! Not glomp onto me!" Sasuke struggled, but it was all in vain. "Leggo!"

"Fine…" Toshiro released Sasuke who took a step away from her. "Nani?" Toshiro smiled. "I couldn't resist… I'm not the norm. Remember that Sasuke." Toshiro waved a finger.

"Like I could forget…"

"Toshiro smiled. "You know it!"

"Whatever…"

Toshiro's smile faded slightly as her stomach growled loudly. "Heh, uh,  
Sasuke, do you think we could take a break and have lunch?" She pointed to a brown paper bag. "I brought mine."

"I guess, you don't have to ask… me."

Toshiro barely heard Sasuke's last word for she had already begun looking threw her lunch bag. She pulled out two rice balls and soy sauce, and Sasuke the same.

Toshiro happily dug in. When she finished, she smiled and closed her eyes contently. Sasuke looked at Toshiro, shook his head, and stood. He then looked away, irritated.

A/N: This is only my second fanfic so if you don't like it, rant and rave threw the reviews. And if you liked it, review. Simple as that. If I get reviews, the next chapter will be up on the 1st of September, I promise. Thank you!


	2. The Blood Between Sisters

Chapter 2

"Can we keep training now?"

"Sasuke…" She met his gaze, "…take five…"

"No thanks." He walked over to the targets. "I'm going to get this whether you like it, or not."

Toshiro smiled thinking back to few moments before. Ii yo… be my guest and miss." She started laughing as she saw Sasuke send her an evil black-eyed glare.

"Urusai... " He mumbled, still walking towards the center of the targets. As he got there he pulled out two of his kunai.

"You're going to miss…"

Sasuke relaxed his grip, and turned back to Toshiro. "Urusai…"

Toshiro shrugged and closed her eyes. "Whatever…"

Sasuke regained his concentration, closed his eyes, and launched the first kunai.

Toshiro cracked an eye open. _'With his eyes closed, he's really going to miss now...'_

Almost as if Sasuke had his eyes open, he threw the second kunai. It flew straight as an arrow and struck the first kunai. A dull thump told Sasuke that the second kunai had found its mark. The first kunai went speeding towards the lower target so fast that it seemed to be whistling threw the air, and to Toshiro's wide eye just a blur. A smile spread across Sasuke's face as he heard the second thump. When he opened his eyes and saw the two targets with kunai sticking out of them, he turned around and looked at Toshiro.

She looked at him. "Nani?"

"..." Sasuke was smiling widely.

"Nee, I can't tell the future you know…"

"………"

"Stop it!"

A young Sasuke shrugged, still smiling. "… fine… but I did it with my eyes closed…"

"Nee!"

Sasuke opened his eyes. "Nani? You can brag and I can't?"

"… I…" Toshiro's gaze was down-cast. "Gomen nasai … Sasuke…"

"I can forgive …" he sat down next to her. Toshiro looked up and smiled. "Arigato gozimasu, Sasuke-chan..."

Sasuke shrugged, "It's fine … don't worry about …" Toshiro embraced Sasuke into a hug. "… it…" Sasuke hesitated, and put his arm around Toshiro's shoulders. They stayed there for a few moments, but when Sasuke saw Toshiro's happy expression, he started to blush. Toshiro saw Sasuke's face and let go. "Uh…"

Toshiro smiled more. "Heh, sorry Sasuke…"

'_I really must have surprised him. He's blushing so. Maybe I should have warned him…'_

'_I really wasn't expecting that… at all…'_ Sasuke stood, "Uh, it's okay."

"Um… do you want to, uh, keep training?"

"Hai, I think so…" _'Anything to get my mind off of what just happened… that was... unexpected...'_

Toshiro walked with Sasuke back to the targets. Sasuke went up to the trees and grasped his kunai. "Do you want to try again?" he asked.

Toshiro's smile reappeared, "Did you honestly think I would say no? Hai, I'll try again."

Sasuke also smiled. "You sure you won't miss?"

"No! I'm gonna make it again!" Toshiro pulled out the same two kunai as before. "Just watch!"

Toshiro launched her first kunai, but when she threw the second, the angle and timing was bad. She missed both targets.

Sasuke closed his eyes and shook his head. "Overconfidence is the downfall of many."

Toshiro turned and looked at Sasuke. "That's the wisest thing I think I've ever heard you say…" She laughed.

Sasuke's eyes snapped back open, and he glared at her. "Like you ever said anything wise…"

Toshiro's laughter ceased abruptly, "Nee!"

Sasuke stopped glaring. "If you're going to try and throw something like that at me I'll throw it right back." Sasuke smiled. "Don't start an argument that you can't win."

"It you're so good then why don't _you_ do it again!"

"I can do it with my eyes closed." Toshiro looked down. Sasuke continued, "Toshiro, you just need to concentrate. Just focus all your attention on the kunai and your surroundings."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Oh, Ii yo…" Toshiro prepared another two kunai and concentrated. She launched the kunai and she was successful. "Oh… that does work…" Toshiro smiled.

"See? Told ya so…"

Toshiro grabbed her kunai and sat back down on the log. "Your turn!" She smiled more brightly.

Sasuke stepped into the middle of the targets and pulled out another two kunai. Toshiro was watching and smiling away. _'He really can give out good advice… at times… I'm grateful I've got him as a friend.'_

Soon after that her smile disappeared. The feeling was back again. This was the worst it had ever been yet. Sasuke had been moments from throwing the kunai when his eye caught Toshiro doubled over in pain.

"Toshiro?" He let his arm drop to his side. "Toshiro!" His walk towards her quickened to a run, and in moments he was at Toshiro's side. _'That expression… the same one she had on before… that feeling must have come back…'_ Toshiro's eyes were squeezed shut, trying to hold back the pain. Toshiro clutched her stomach and tried to ignore the newfound pain in her throat. Sasuke sat next to her, troubled. _'I wish there was something I could do…'_ Sasuke gingerly placed his hand on Toshiro's shoulder. The pain slowly melted away Sasuke did so. When it was completely come, Toshiro was panting slightly. She opened her eyes.

"Are you okay, Toshiro?"

"…… something really bad just happened… I know it." Toshiro closed her eyes again. "But whatever it was, includes the both of us. Don't ask me who of what caused it, but we'll find it out later but, I do know this… we won't be the same after this…"

Sasuke looked at her. "Nothing could change me. I won't change."

"No, it will change you… a lot. You more than me… I just know, Sasuke."

"…what do you say we do now? Stay here? Or go back and try to figure out what just happened?"

"… Sasuke…" She looked at him. _'He won't ever be the same… I don't want to see his carefree self lost just yet… Sasuke…'_ "Let's just wait a bit. Just a bit of time before the bomb drops…" Toshiro mumbled to herself. "I just wish I new how bad the thing is. It could have been an argument, a death, a massacre… I can't tell, but I think it's family related." Toshiro was moping and Sasuke had a confused but down-cast look.

'_Family related issue? What could she mean by that? Someone or something… wait... no!_

"Itachi!" Sasuke shouted out.

He jumped to his feet and speed off towards the village.

"Sasuke wait!"

Toshiro stood and ran after him. "You could get hurt! Or worse!" She finally caught up with Sasuke. "Sasuke! Stop! Itachi isn't in his right mind!"

Sasuske ignored her and kept running.

Toshiro fell silent. She grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him to a stop.

"Let go!"

"No! Not until you realize the danger around that corner!"

Sasuke broke free and ran around the corner. Toshiro followed him and stopped upon seeing Sasuke staring at the death and destruction surrounding him. The Uchiha were gone.

"Sasuke…"

"… I… Toshiro, just stay here…"

"Sasuke!"

"I'll be back. Just don't follow me, and stay safe!" Sasuke gave Toshiro one last look, and started running agagin. Toshiro almost followed him but stopped. "Sasuke… stay safe… onesai…" Toshiro looked down, and then a thought came to her. _'What about Ai and... and Izunami?'_ Toshiro turned and ran towards her home. It was now in sight. She felt a wave of relief, but it was soon gone as the smell washed over her. The smell of Death, decay, blood. The reeking smell gagged her as she entered the house. She slipped part of her shirt over her nose continued onwards.

There was the familiar syrupy red everywhere. On walls, chairs, the floor, and on all kinds of furniture. She stopped in front of the main room and inhaled, expecting the worst. A shaky hand extended and grasped the once silver but now red handle. Toshiro closed her eyes, and wrenched open the door.

Toshiro staggered a bit as the smell worsened. She stepped into the dark, humid room, and the door closed behind her.

The room was lit by an eerie moonlight coming from two small windows, but the shadows in the corners were still visible. Toshiro stepped in cautiously, aware of the slightest noise. Something squished under her sandal, and when she looked down she was horrified to find a puddle of blood at her feet. Toshiro pulled her foot out of the substance. A warm breeze blew by her, and Toshiro's eyes widened in fear. She slowly continued threw the room. Toshiro jumped as she thought she heard shallow breathing in a nearby corner. She warily took a step in its direction. Toshiro saw the shine on its green eyes. It tried to speak, but could only moan. Toshiro inched closer, and it found its voice.

"……sister……?"

Toshiro rushed forwards at hearing the voice. "Ai? Ai! What happened?"

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Who did this to you?" She fell to her knees and embraced her younger sister, and that was when she realized that there was a puddle of blood surrounding her. "You're bleeding! Where's the wound?"

Ai lifted up the lower part of her shirt and revealed a kunai wedged into her stomach. "… I… I tried to… pull it out… but I can't…" Ai also started to cry. "I… I'm scared sister…"

Toshiro swallowed. "D… do you want me to pull it out?"

"……no…… but, I think… you should…" Toshiro looked around her and grabbed a pillow on the floor near them. She put her hand on the kunai. "Are you ready?"

Ai grabbed Toshiro's arm and held on tight. She nodded.

Toshiro prepared herself with the pillow. "Okay," Toshiro held her breath. "Mi…… ni…… wan……" She closed her eyes and yanked out the kunai. Ai cried out in pain for a moment, and whimpered as Toshiro held the pillow against Ai's stomach as a gauze. Ai's breathing lessened slightly, and she leaned against her older sister.

"Ai? How badly does it hurt?" Toshiro was still clutching the kunai in her left hand. Ai couldn't answer, and she closed her eyes. Toshiro leaned against the wall with her younger sister in her arms. _'I can't believe this is happening . . . my life is slowly going down the drain… if… if my life is THIS bad, then… then what about… Sasuke? All his family dead… the Uchiha... hundreds of them… gone... but, what happened to him? I pray he isn't also...'_ Toshiro shuddered. _'Please don't be...'_

Ai sighed and muttered, "Sister… I don't think I'm… going to… make it…"

Toshiro's eyes welled with tears, "D-Don't say silly things like that Ai… everything's going to be fine…"

Ai gave Toshiro a painful hug, "You know, and I know, that isn't true…"

Toshiro looked like Niagara Falls as she heard her sister's words. She knew it was inevitable. "I know… I just don't want to believe it…"

"... You'll be fine… don't worry about me… I'll be, as they say, in a better place…"

Toshiro bowed her head. "I know… but I'll be alone… I don't want to be…"

Ai smiled one final time at her loving sister, and mumbled the words that would stay with Toshiro until the end of time. "You'll never be alone…"

Toshiro started to shake, and she tightened the hug. Ai's breathing slowly faded, and ceased to exist.

"Ai?" Toshiro didn't know why she talked to the corpse of her sister, but did anyway. "Ai!"

A figure in a dark corner showed its hiding place. "There's no use talking to her… she's gone…"

Toshiro managed to spit out words threw the tears. "…dare desu ka?"

"You know me…little sister…"

Toshiro stood, a little shaky. "Why…how could you do this Sister! Ai was-"

"-In my way. And Mother and Father."

Toshiro burst out, "You killed your… our birth parents! How could you! You had no reason to do that!"

"They were not but measuring sticks to test my potential."

"Nani! Did your _boyfriend_, Itachi set you up to this!" Toshiro ran at Izunami with the kunai in hand.

Izunami hit her sister in the forehead with an open palm, and sent Toshiro flying into the wall. She landed in a pile on the floor.

"Don't call him that!" Izunami's piercing eyes were looking right threw Toshiro. " . . .I'm sorry little Sister, but you're just another measuring stick to me."

Toshiro understood Izunami perfectly. She cried out, "Don't kill me too Sister!" Toshiro bolted out the door. Izunami followed.

"You know it is inevitable."

"Maybe, but my life doesn't end today!" She backed away from Izunami. "You won't kill me. You can't! I'm your sister!"

"Who's going to stop me Sister? What army?"

Toshiro looked around quite helplessly. She looked back to Izunami. "Onesai Sister! Onesai don't!" Toshiro stepped back, tripped, and fell over some debris. Izunami took a step forward. "Stop!" The slow advance continued and soon, she was hovering right above Toshiro. Izunami slowly pulled out a kunai. Toshiro shut her eyes, and quietly, "……onesai Sister…… don't…… I …… I love you……. and I know you feel the same towards me…… onesai, don't……"

Izunami paused, and dropped the kunai inches from Toshiro. She turned away and started walking towards the village gate. Toshiro rose to her feet and watched her sister leave. She stood there for what seemed like an eternity. As Izunami disappeared into the darkness, Toshiro cried out to nothing in particular, "How could you Sister! Kill your own flesh and blood like animals!" She realized she still had the kunai in her hand, the one that had Ai's dried blood on it. Toshiro held it aloft against the eerie moon. "I so swear by the blood of our dead sister that I will kill you by the weapon you did her! Heed my words, Izunami!" Soon after that, Toshiro grew dizzy, and blacked out.

A/N: I couldn't wait to put this one out here! It's too good and sad! Also, arigato gozimasu to the ONE person who reviewed. You know who you are I imagine, and I'm going to use your advice. This and the last chapter especially were very hard to write... well, the part about Sasuke being nice to someone and not being his normal, cold self. The next chapter isn't very interesting, for it's just a chapter that fills in the space between four years. But, I DO have four other chapters sitting around waiting for more people to review! Onesai REVIEW!


	3. Four Long Years

A/N: How embarassing... I didn't even hit 1,000 words...

Chapter 3

Toshiro awoke in a white room quite alone. _'Was it all a dream?'_ She found the bruise on her forehead that Izunami gave to her the night before. Downheartedly, _'I suppose not…'_

A nurse walked into the room but Toshiro didn't look up.

"Ah, you're awake." She pulled up a chair and sat by Toshiro's bed. "How're you feeling?"

"Other than this headache," _'And the emotional distress,'_ "I'm fine…" Toshiro closed her eyes.

"Well I have come to understand that you have been threw quite a bit."

'_You don't know the half of it… My family dead, all the Uchiha dead, Sasuke… what about Sasuke?'_ Toshiro looked up, finally. "Do you know about the Uchiha massacre?"

The nurse nodded. "Hai… it was very sorrowful…"

"Were there any survivors?" Toshiro asked hopefully, desperation clear in her voice. "Perhaps a boy about my age? With black hair?"

"There were a lot of boys by your description in the Uchiha Clan. I'm sorry… but there have been no reports of survivors yet."

Toshiro's lower lip trembled, and a tear slid down her face. _'S-Sasuke? Dead? I-It can't be! No! Not Sasuke too! Why Itachi! Why Izunami!'_ The tears took over. _'I… I truly am alone now…'_ Then Toshiro heard her sister's last words. _'You'll never be alone...' 'I must live on. I can't sit here feeling sorry for myself. Crying won't bring them back.'_ Toshiro saw the blood stained kunai on her bedside table. _'I… I have to find Izunami. And bring her down.'_ Toshiro thought of Sasuke. _'And then I'll take on Itachi… for Sasuke…'_ During Toshiro's long train of thought the nurse had left to allow Toshiro to grieve.

'_I'll start over. I can go back to the Ninja Academy and work my way up from there. Simple enough. Or not…'_

Toshiro pulled herself out of the bed, and left the room. She snuck out of the hospital unnoticed, and made her way to the edge of a forest to relax.

'_Peace and quiet at last… not at all like that noisy hospital…' _She listened to the water trickling between the rocks and the birds chirping. _'I wish I could enjoy this more… instead of thinking of last night.'_ She sighed. _'That was all in… the past… I need to think about the future, instead of troubling myself with things I cannot change.'_ A little fox poked his head out of the brush to Toshiro's left. When she saw it she smiled lightly. It came out and sat in front of Toshiro, eyeing her closely. Their eyes meet, and she looked long and hard into the fox's hypnotic black eyes. Toshiro snapped back into reality as she remembered that black-eyed gaze.

"……Sasuke……" She muttered.

The fox looked at her curiously and scampered away back threw the bushes. Toshiro pulled herself together and fought off the hot tears. _'I can't bring them back… I need to move on. I must forget those memories if I want to continue with my life.'_ She stood and walked away, hoping to leave her horrible memories behind.

Soon after arriving at the Village Hidden in the Sand she forgot about Sasuke. She forgot what he looked like, his personality, and his brother. The only things she couldn't forget were Izunami, and the merciless killing of her family and Ai. Especially Ai.

Toshiro went for a walk one day. She completely zoned out while walking and when she snapped out of it, she found herself in a park far away from the Village Hidden in the Sand.

'_Wow… where the heck am I? I was completely out of it…' _She stopped and looked around, but saw nothing but a trail, trees, and a small stream. _'Fantastic, how am I supposed to get myself out of this one?'_ She crossed her arms in frustration and continued walking. Instead of the trees thinning out, they thickened and made it so Toshiro almost couldn't see where she was going. While Toshiro was walking she accidentally stepped on a rock, twisted her ankle, and landed on the ground.

"Ow! That hurt!" Toshiro looked at her foot. "Great, I sprained my ankle. The only time I didn't carry a bandage with me, and that's when I need it most!" Toshiro remembered the stream. She took off her shoe and put her foot in the cool water. _'Well, at least it won't be swollen. But how am I supposed to get back? It's too far for me to walk back on my bad foot, plus I'm not exactly sure about where I am.'_ Toshiro sighed and leaned her back against a near-by tree, keeping her foot in the water. She closed her eyes, and eventually fell asleep.

A/N: Forgive the really bad chapter... I tore apart the origonal 3rd chapter and threw this one together in a matter 1/2 an hour... it's so bad and I feel like an idiot because of it, so I'm putting out the 4th chapter now. And it's way better than this one, I might add. Please don't stop reading this story because of this one okay? As I said, the 4th chapter is now out!


	4. Dare desu ka?

A/N: This one is QUITE a bit longer than the last one. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

"Do you think she's okay Kakashi Sensei?"

"She's fine, just resting probably."

"What happened to her foot?"

A female voice answered his question, "Well obviously Naruto, she's twisted her ankle." "Well sorry 'Miss Big Forehead lady' that I missed that!"

"Nee!"

A much older voice tried to stop the bickering, "That's enough."

Naruto mumbled, "Fine… demo, should we just leave her here?" Naruto walked over to Toshiro and squatted down in front of her. "She's gonna wake up sooner or later…"

On cue Toshiro's eyes slowly opened, and she jumped as the saw a boy her age in a bright orange jumpsuit in front of her.

"Dare desu ka?" She managed to spit out.

"Naruto, you baka! You woke her up!" A pink-haired girl shouted at Naruto.

Toshiro looked at the girl, "No, actually _you_ did." The girl crossed her arms, and Toshiro then realized that there was a silver-haired man there with them as well.

Naruto looked back to Toshiro and continued, "I saw you here so I stopped."

The girl once again burst out, "No you didn't! Sasuke-Kun did!" She turned and gave the boy behind her a dreamy-eyed stare. He said nothing.

Toshiro gave this black-haired boy her full attention. _'Sasuke? Where have I heard that name before?'_ She looked him over briefly and met his piercing black-eyed stare. _'He looks sort of_..._ familiar…'_ Sasuke looked back at her; the same thing apparently running threw his mind.

"Um… hi…" Toshiro said uncertainly to him. Sasuke said nothing, but closed his eyes and leaned up against a tree. _'Not the talkative type I see…'_

Naruto held out a hand, "Can I help you up?" Toshiro looked at his extended hand, and then at the silly smile on his face. "… no…" Toshiro leaned on the tree behind her and stood up.

Naruto's smile faded and he lowered his hand. Sasuke looked at Naruto and smirked. _'Shot down again…' _He thought.

Naruto saw Sasuke looking at him and shouted, "What're you looking at!"

Sasuke looked from Toshiro to Naruto. "…hmph…" and he looked away. Naruto glared back at him, "Yeah, that's what I thought..."

Sakura looked from Sasuke to Naruto, and she glared at him. "What was that!" Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she took a step forwards. Naruto's glare turned into a look of terror. He took a step back cautiously. "… n-nothing… Sakura…"

Toshiro couldn't help but start smiling at the sight of Naruto backing away from a very angry Sakura. The silver-haired man intervened at last. A frown appeared on Sakura's face and she begged, "Onesai Kakashi Sensei, just let me beat the crap out of him!" She made a fist and glared at Naruto. He backed up some more and started cowering behind Toshiro. Toshiro hopped over to another tree, leaving Naruto out in the open. She sent him a sympathetic look and said, "Sorry, but _I_ didn't want to be in the line of fire…"

Naruto looked back at Sakura, who was trying to get around Kakashi Sensei. "Onesai Kakashi Sensei, let me at him!" Sasuke looked at a frightened Naruto, then to Sakura, and then to Kakashi Sensei. _'Let her,'_ he thought, _'It's not like we'll miss anything…'_

Kakashi Sensei smiled threw his mask, almost as if knowing what Sasuke was thinking. He looked at Sakura and said, "Leave him alone Sakura…" _'Even thought I know how great your urge to kill him is…'_

Sakura continued glaring at Naruto, but she eventually turned around, crossing her arms in frustration. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

Kakashi Sensei walked away from Sakura and stopped in front of Toshiro. "What's your name?" he asked her. She quickly looked him over and replied, "Toshiro… my name is Toshiro."

Sasuke looked at Toshiro curiously. _'I know I've heard that name before… but where?'_ he thought to himself.

Sakura saw Sasuke looking at Toshiro, lost in a deep train of thought.

"Something wrong Sasuke-Kun?" She asked him as pleasantly as possible.

Sasuke snapped out of his train of thought. "…nothing…" he replied. Sakura's look was down-cast. "Oh… ii yo…"

Kakashi Sensei looked back to Toshiro. "Well, I'm sure you already know all of our names…"

Toshiro nodded slightly, "Hai, I think so…" A small pain in her foot reminded Toshiro of how she had gotten into the mess she was currently in. She hopped over to her shoe and snatched it off of the ground. "Might I ask as to why you are all in the middle of a forest?" She asked curiously.

Naruto smiled and burst out happily, "We just completed a mission! You?"

Toshiro looked at the four faces surrounding her. "No reason…" She answered, "I left the Village Hidden in the Sand because I wanted to go for a walk. I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking and I lost my footing. That's why I was sitting here."

Sakura had a confused look in her face. "Do you have any idea at all how far away you are from that village!"

Toshiro shook her head, "No… why?"

Sakura said in a very matter-of-factly way, "You're about a day's walk away from the Village Hidden in the Sand. You must have been moving extremely fast threw the forest."  
Toshiro shook her head again, "I don't think so… I haven't been walking all day, you know. I just wanted to be out of the village for a bit… there's no crime in that…"

"No, but if so, where's your headband?" Sakura asked suspiciously. Toshiro put her hand on her forehead. "Oh… my headband?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out her headband. "It's right here." Sakura looked even more confused.

"Nani?" Toshiro asked her upon seeing her confused look.

"That's a Hidden Leaf headband!" Sakura pointed to the headband. "I thought you said you were from the Village Hidden in the Sand!"

"I…" Toshiro looked down. "You don't need to know…"

Sakura crossed her arms again. "Nani?"

Toshiro fell silent and put he headband away. "I don't want to talk about it…" _'You don't know at all what I've been threw…'_ Toshiro's gaze became down-cast. "You wouldn't understand…"

Sakura glared at Toshiro and said, "I would understand!"

Toshiro was on the verge of tears but they were fought off fiercly. "No! You wouldn't!" She looked at Naruto. "Now I understand why you hate her so much…" Naruto nodded and Sakura started tapping her foot, annoyed. Toshiro crossed her arms over her chest. "You wouldn't understand… you don't know what I've been threw! No one alive could understand!" Toshiro sat down at the base of the tree.

Sakura stopped tapping her foot and realized that Toshiro was right. "Oh… that kind of understand…" She fell silent.

Sasuke looked down. _'She might not, but I do…'_ Sasuke moved from the tree and walked closer to Toshiro. She looked up at Sasuke, a glossy look on her emereld eyes. Quietly, he said, "I understand…"

'_But how could anyone understand?'_ Toshiro's eyes met Sasuke's onyx ones and she lost herself in them. _'He's just… so familiar… but, from where?'_ Toshiro felt as if she could look on forever into Sasuke's eyes. All of her thoughts and feelings almost immediately melted away.

"Ahem…" Sakura cleared her throat. Sasuke closed his eyes again and leaned against another tree.

Toshiro snapped out of her trance. _'Wait… what was I so upset about again? I've completely forgotten…'_ She looked down and saw her shoe, and remembered her situation. Toshiro looked up at Kakashi Sensei and asked politely, "Do you by any chance have a bandage I could use?"

Naruto had been so quiet that when he spoke up, he startled Toshiro a little bit. "I have one." He reached into his pack and pulled out a medical wrap. He handed it to Toshiro and put his pack onto his back.

"Arigato gozimasu Naruto…" Toshiro said to him smiling slightly. She carefully wrapped her ankle with the wrap, secured it, and stood up keeping all weight possible off of her bad foot.

"Kuso…" She mumbled almost inaudibly, "I'll never make it back to the village like this… not today, or tomorrow…"

Naruto heard her and suggested happily, "You could stay with us till your foot gets better! You could come to the Village Hidden in the Leaves and go back to the Village Hidden in the Sand once you're all better!"

Toshiro looked from face to face and stopped on Kakashi Sensei. "You mean you would let me go with you? Back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves?"

He nodded, "If you'd want to. But you would have to walk back to the Village Hidden in the Sand by yourself."

"That's okay, I walked there myself three or four years ago, and I could do it again." She smiled again. "Arigato gozimasu."

Kakashi Sensei looked at the sky. "It's getting late. We should keep moving until we find a clearing to rest in." He looked at Toshiro and asked, "Can you walk?"

She nodded, "Hai, but I might not be able to keep up with you." She bent over and picked up her shoe.

"Alright, we won't go to fast," Kakashi Sensei said. He looked that Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto saying, "Lets go," and he started walking.

Naruto walked directly behind Kakashi Sensei, and Sakura was second in line. Toshiro stood behind Sakura and that left Sasuke last in line.

'_So this is just what they do?'_ Toshiro asked herself, _'They walk threw who knows what, accomplish a mission, and just go back to the village just to do it all over again? To think that if I had stayed in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, that's the sort of life I would be leading. But, it would really get your mind off of everything I guess…'_

About half an hour later, they settled down in a small clearing surrounded by brush. One by one they each fell asleep, but Toshiro lay awake, staring at the countless number of stars.

"How breathtakingly beautiful it is out here…" Toshiro mumbled to no one in particular. She closed her eyes and listened to her surroundings. She heard some small insects scurrying about, crickets singing to the full moon above, lizards dashing about snatching small meals as they went, and the soft wind rustling threw the swaying trees. Toshiro was entirely engulfed in the peace of the night, until a loud noise a few feet away pulled her back to her senses. Naruto had rolled over and had started snoring loudly. Toshiro sat up and poked Naruto in the back gently whispering, "Shut up Naruto!" He stopped and Toshiro laid back down again, and finally succumbed to sleep.

A/N: Eh... this one was okay... for those who have been confused about the Japanese words I have been using, there is a list at the bottom. You're welcome! And Review! I'm going to require a minimum of 5 of them! And I don't care if it's a flame either. Low right? Then it should be out by tomorow! Unless, no one reviews... and then we would have a problem. REVIEW! Onesai, review!

Arigato – thank you

Arigato gozimasu – thank you very much

Gomen nasai – I'm sorry

Ii yo - okay

Hai – yes

Iie - no

demo - but

Onesai – please

Kuso – damn it

Urusai – shut up

Nee – hey

Dare desu ka? - Who are you?

Baka – idiot

Nani? - What?

Nani chigimasu? – What's wrong?


	5. The Village Hidden in the Leaves

Chapter 5

"Wake up Toshiro!" Naruto called. Toshiro rolled over and moaned, "Go away Naruto, it's to early…" She cracked an eye open looking for the sun. "It's barely dawn!"

Sakura walked over to Toshiro and stated, "Early to bed, early to-"

Toshiro sleppily blurted out, "I know how the saying goes Sakura…" She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and watched Sakura stomp off. Toshiro stood up, careful of her sore foot, and looked about her. Sasuke was awake and was rolling up his sleeping bag, and it was the same for Sakura and Naruto.

'_Where's Kakashi Sensei?'_ Toshiro asked herself. She looked around and finally saw him, still asleep. _'I have to wake up, but HE gets to sleep in? Not fair…'_ Toshiro looked from him to the sleeping bag at her feet. Toshiro got down on her hands and knees and rolled up the sleeping bag. She sat on it and rubbed some more sleep out of her eyes. She looked out at the horizon and watched the sun rise out of the east.

'_I should really do this more often. It's so calm out here… yet, everything is so alive…'_ Toshiro heard footsteps behind her.

"Whatcha doing?" Naruto asked with a smile on his face. Toshiro didn't look behind her, but answered, "Just thinking… nothing more…"

"About what?" Naruto sat down next to her and Toshiro scooted an inch or so away. "Nothing important…"

"You sure?" Naruto questioned, "It looked like you were thinking pretty deeply about something…"

Toshiro finally looked at Naruto and smiled, "No, really… it's nothing…"

She looked back at Kakashi Sensei and said, "We're all up but what about him?" She pointed at Kakashi Sensei, and she looked away again.

Naruto shrugged, "He always does that… Kakashi sensei is never on time. Even since the very day we met him!"

Toshiro looked at Sakura as she walked by mumbling, "Never has been, and never will be…"

A voice behind them asked, "Never will what?"

Naruto and Toshiro's eyes were as big as saucers as they slowly turned around and saw Kakashi Sensei looking down at them.

They sweatdropped nervously and simultaneously answered, "Nothing Kakashi Sensei…" As he walked away, Toshiro and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Toshiro got to her feet and looked at the spot where Kakashi Sensei had been lying seconds before.

Her eyes widened in shock as she saw that he had already rolled up his sleeping bag. _'But, he was asleep seconds ago! How'd he do that?'_ Toshiro was pulled from her thoughts by Kakashi Sensei shouting, "Okay, lets move out!"

'_Already? You just woke up!'_ Toshiro thought as she stepped in line behind Sakura but in front of Naruto, with Sasuke bringing up the rear.

After about an hour of walking in silence, Toshiro panicked a little as she noticed that Naruto was speeding up a bit. Soon, Naruto was on Toshiro's left side. She sidestepped to the right and asked, "What do you want?"

Naruto smiled in his own silly way and mumbled, "Nothing…"

Toshiro cocked an eyebrow, and Sakura sent Naruto a 'What do you think you're doing?" look. Naruto reached an arm out almost as if to wrap it around Toshiro's shoulder. Her eyes widened in fear and she ducked and took a step or so back, Naruto's smile disappeared and he stopped moving around. Now Toshiro was behind Naruto and in front of Sasuke. _'Was he trying to…to put his arm around me? No… never mind…'_

They walked on without anything happening for several hours and stopped for a lunch break when Naruto complained that he was tired.

As they all sat down Sakura said to Naruto, "You're already tired? How could you stop now?" Kakashi Sensei tried to break them up with one hand while the other was holding an orange book up to his face.

Toshiro shook her head as she saw that Sakura was also tired. _'How could YOU stop Sakura? I'm the one with the sore foot here, yet I could still continue on…'_

They only had about a ten to fifteen minute break and they started to pack up again. Toshiro offered to take one of the packs and she put it on her back. Kakashi Sensei once again told them to follow him, but now their positions had changed once again. Kakashi sensei was up in the very front, and behind him Naruto and Sakura were walking side by side. It was the same for Toshiro and Sasuke who were standing behind Naruto and Sakura. After a while, out of curiosity Toshiro asked Sasuke, "About how long will it take up to reach the Village Hidden in the Leaves?"

Sasuke muttered his answer, "We should be there by nightfall at the very latest…" Sasuke looked at Toshiro. "Why?"

"Oh, I was just wondering…" Toshiro looked away masking the nervousness in her voice. _'Why am I so nervous talking to him? He's just another guy…'_

Sasuke saw Toshiro trying to hide something from him and he asked, "Nani chigimasu?"

"Nani? Oh… um… you just remind me of someone… but your personality doesn't fit his…"

"What happened to him?" Sasuke asked out of curiosity.

Toshiro hesitated, but answered softly, "… I was told that… he had been killed…" Toshiro sighed sadly. Sasuke didn't reply. Toshiro looked at Sasuke and then looked down. _'I wish I could remember what his name was… or what clan he was from…'_

Toshiro didn't talk after that, nor did anyone else. The main thoughts that refused to leave Toshiro were the ones about the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

'_Do I really want to go back?'_ She thought, _'To the place where everything happened to me? The thing that changed my life entirely? Where would I stay? I doubt the house I lived in is still vacant. Hm…' _

A few hours later Toshiro was still lost in the same thoughts. She was thinking so hard that she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking. Her foot landed sideways in a small pothole and she started falling towards her left. She closed her eyes tightly and braced herself for impact.

It never came.

'_Did someone catch me? This person… feels so…… cold…'_ She opened her eyes slowly and saw the shape of the person who had caught her. Because of his convenient position, Sasuke had been close and fast enough to catch Toshiro before she hit the ground. She immediately blushed when she saw who it was. "Um… gomen nasai… clumsy me… hehe…" Toshiro looked at Sakura who had apparently seen everything. She was so mad and secretly jealous that her face was as deep a red as there ever could be. Toshiro got to her feet and Sasuke let go of her, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Sorry Sasuke…" Toshiro muttered as she stepped back in line again.

"Whatever…" he mumbled back.

Toshiro looked at him curiously while she thought. _'His touch, it was so cold. He's completely emotionless… but, he carries a heavy weight about his shoulders. There's nothing in him but… sadness… I don't know how I can tell, but, he's suffered a loss just as I have… possibly even more so than I…'_ Toshiro thought back to the day before. _'…maybe he does understand…'_

Toshiro pushed her past out of her mind and tried not to think about it for the rest of the day.

The five-man group didn't stop walking after the lunch break at all. Toshiro found this strange as she walked threw the forest with nothing but an eerie moonlight to guide them.

'_It's nightfall… so where's the village?'_ Toshiro kept this to herself and continued walking. But soon after, she saw a pair of huge wooden doors emerged from the trees.

Toshiro sighed as she took in the massive sight before her. Inaudibly, she sighed,

"… at last, I'm back…"

The gates slowly swung open and Toshiro watched Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi Sensei step into the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She was about to follow, but Sasuke stopped in front of her.

"Nani?" She asked.

"Aren't you going to put your headband on before going inside?"

Toshiro reached a hand inside of her pack and pulled out her headband. Slowly she put it on her forehead and forced a smile at Sasuke. He turned around and walked threw the village gates, Toshiro directly behind him. She walked over to where Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi Sensei were walking, saying their good nights. As she walked up, Toshiro heard the heavy gates swing shut behind her.

"Excuse me Kakashi Sensei? Where am I supposed to stay?" _'And I didn't work this out earlier because...?'_

Kakashi Sensei sweatdropped and said, "Uh… to be honest with you Toshiro, I haven't the slightest clue…"

Sakura shook her head, _'No big surprise there...'_ She thought. She directed her attention to Toshiro and said, "Naturally I would invite you to stay with me, but I haven't the room… gomen nasai…"

Toshiro smiled understandingly, "It's alright Sakura…" _'But thank god! I don't know how long I could say cooped up with you, knowing your, unpredictable, personality…'_

Naruto piped up, "Toshiro could stay with me Kakashi Sensei!" He was brandishing the goofiest of all smiles on his face. Toshiro's eye twitched nervously. "Oh, thanks anyways Naruto!" Toshiro took a step back nervously. Unaware that Sasuke was right behind her, she bumped into him. Sasuke looked from Naruto to Kakashi Sensei saying, "She can stay with me if she wants to…" Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing those few words. Naruto's smile retreated a bit and Sakura's expression was screaming jealousy. Kakashi Sensei agreed. "Glad that's now settled." He started to walk away. "Ja ne!" he called behind him, a 'Come Come Paradise' book open in his hand.

"Well," Naruto mumbled, "Oyasuminasai!" He walked away and Sakura did the same, but not before sending Toshiro an angry glare. Toshiro shrugged back at her. Sasuke started walking away, and Toshiro strode up beside him. After a short while, she said, "Arigato gozimasu, for saving me from Naruto… he's so goofy…"

"Sure…" Sasuke muttered back. Toshiro looked at the ground she was treading on. _'The silence is unbearable… I have to break it. But what am I supposed to say in order to do that?'_ Toshiro opened her mouth, but no sound came out. '_Kuso… I can't think of anything…'_ She looked down at the ground.

A/N: That wasn't too bad was it? Well for all you readers, 'Oyasuminasai' means 'Good Night'. I'm currently at work on the 6th chapter along with the 7th. Ideas are flooding in ever since my writers' block thankfully disappeared. There's a lot of chit-chat in the next chapter just so you know. But... it's worth it, I think. Also, REVIEW PLEASE!


	6. You're alive?

Chapter 6

"Nani?" Sasuke asked, his eyes closed.

"I…" Toshiro hesitated, but refused to say what was on her mind. "… nothing…"

Sasuke spoke up, apparently disliking the silence also. "What did you mean… when you told Sakura that she had no idea what you had been threw?" he asked curiously.

Toshiro sighed, "Do you _really_ want to know?"

Sasuke paused for a moment, and answered, "Hai…" He looked at her, waiting for her to reply.

Toshiro refused to look him in the eye. "To put it simple," She began, "My life _was_ normal… then one day, it all changed… I woke up that morning, aware of a funny feeling in the air. My older sister wasn't herself. She was… distant… unlike my younger sister who was laughing and joyful… see, it was her 7th birthday." Tears threatened at the corners of Toshiro's eyes, but they were fought back strongly. She sadly continued, "I said my goodbyes soon after, and met up with someone. A boy, the one that you remind me so much of. He was…" Toshiro listed of some of his attributes as she remembered them, "Happy, caring, determined, dedicated to his training… or so I can remember…" Toshiro paused briefly. Sasuke looked away from Toshiro as thoughts flew threw his mind. _'Why does this all of a sudden sound so familiar?'_

"Well," Toshiro thought aloud, "We trained all day, why, he even taught me a way to hit a kunai and change its direction in mid air!" She laughed silently, recalling the silly argument she had with the boy.

Sasuke had begun searching for the memory he had tried to forget so long ago. "What happened after that?" he asked, hoping that if what Toshiro was talking about was familiar, that would ring a bell.

"It kind of turns into a blur after that… I got a funny feeling again, and for some reason he took off running." Sasuke heard the sadness reappear in Toshiro's voice. "I ran after him," she continued, "But, he didn't want to stop. No matter what I said, he still had to know what was happening… and… that was the last time I ever saw him…" Toshiro sighed, "Next thing I know, I was in the hospital… and they told me, he was dead…" Toshiro's shoulders slouched a bit, but she kept walking. "It felt like my live was over…" A tear slid down her cheek, then another, and another.

Sasuke looked over at Toshiro and barely audible, he mumbled, "That how I felt too…"

Toshiro's tears slowed slightly and she looked at him curiously. "Nani?" She said between the sobs. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is… that boy you knew so long ago, he didn't die…" Sasuke stopped walking and so did Toshiro. "What do you mean he didn't die?" Toshiro sniffed, "You weren't there!"

"Toshiro…" Sasuke's onyx eyes locked with her emerald ones, and softly, he said, "He couldn't be dead because… because he's standing right in front of you…"

Toshiro wanted to believe Sasuke, but she couldn't. She shook her head, "No… you couldn't be him… you're too different than him… you don't act like him at all!"

Sasuke didn't give up trying to persuade her that he _was_ the boy she used to know.

"You told him that he would change. That it would change him more than it would you. He denied it, and he was wrong…"

Toshiro came to realize, that, she was staring at her long-lost childhood friend. "You mean… he survived?" Before Sasuke had any chance to respond, Toshiro ran at him, the once sad tears now tears of joy. "You're alive! I can't believe your alive" Toshiro embraced Sasuke and buried her head into his chest. The tears flew more freely as she did so. Sasuke stood frozen in shock and surprise, but when it finally wore off, he hugged her back. And for the first time in years, Sasuke smiled, happy to have something else to live for once again.

He muttered, "I thought you had been killed…" Sasuke thought back to the day afterwards. "They told me your entire family was gone… and I remember being devastated…"

"I was too…" Toshiro's crying finally ceased and she looked up into Sasuke's black eyes. "I couldn't stand the thought of never seeing you again… the happy memories were too much… that's why I left for the Village Hidden in the Leaves. To forget everything…"

Sasuke looked from Toshiro to the moon floating overhead. "To think… had you stayed, I would have seen you again…"

Toshiro's eyes welled with tears again and she burst out, "Gomen nasai! It's all my fault!" She bowed her head shamefully. "You're right… I questioned myself after I left, but, I couldn't come back here… and then I knew that kids in the academy here would point fingers at the back of my head, and whisperings of 'Hey, isn't that the girl that was the only survivor of the massacre last night?' Some thing along those lines…"

"Hmpf…"

"Nani?" Toshiro looked him in the eye.

"I got that… a lot… one gets used to it I suppose…"

"How could anyone get used to it? Being reminded of it everyday though… I forgot almost everything after I left…"

After a moments silence Toshiro released Sasuke. She stepped back and took all of him in. _'He has changed… a lot… I was right…'_ She crossed her arms and pouted. "Kuso…"

"Nani?" Sasuke looked at you curiously.

Toshiro forced a smile, "You grew taller than me…" she complained. Sasuke smirked, shook his head, and started walking again. "Come on…"

Toshiro strode next to him and did the same. "Nani? You did… I feel so short right now…"

Sasuke pointed out, "Haven't changed at all from what I remember at all…"

Toshiro shook her head. "No… I have changed too. I normally don't act like this… when you first saw me yesterday, that's how I normally act…" Toshiro's eyebrows furrowed on confusion and she couldn't hold it in any longer. "Why are you so…" Toshiro stopped herself.

"So, what?" Sasuke asked her.

"So…" Toshiro looked for the right words but only came up with one. "……cold?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, earlier today… when I tripped and you caught me just before I fell, I was confused. You weren't warm like I thought you would be, but cold… but just a second ago, you were a little warmer… just a little… It's hard to explain… sorry…"

"I understand what you're trying to say…" Sasuke shrugged, "But I don't have an answer for you…"

"Oh, well it's okay. I'm sure it'll unravel itself eventually…"

"Probably…"

Toshiro sent Sasuke a concerned look. "Nani chigimasu? Are you okay?"

"Oh… yeah… it's just…" he paused and a gentle smirk appeared on his lips. "After four years… I can't believe you're actually here… I( know you seemed familiar…"

Toshiro nodded in agreement and smiled. "I felt the same way… it looked like the same thing was running threw your mind at first. But, when I first tried talking to you, you didn't seem to be in a very talkative mood…"

"I'm not one for talking to people… unless I have to…" Sasuke looked away and eyed some of the houses they were passing.

"Oh… I remember being like that towards people… that's your house right?" She pointed to a house about four houses away.

Sasuke nodded. "How'd you-"

"How'd I know?" Toshiro interrupted, "I remember it… somehow…"

Sasuke reached into the deep caresses of his mind. "Didn't you used to walk right by here to get to the Ninja Academy?" He walked up to his doorstep and opened the door.

"Oh yeah! And if I saw you ahead of me. I remember trying to catch up to you."

Toshiro laughed and said, "There was one time I couldn't find you one morning. I showed up here and your mom answered the door. She told me that you were asleep and asked me to wake you up, and of course, I agreed. Sorry about that by the way... hehe…"

Sasuke stepped in the door and Toshiro was right behind him. "I still haven't forgiven you for taking that thing to my ear…"

Toshiro gave a silly smile and shrugged, "What else was I supposed to do? And what were the chances that there was a blow horn lying around?" She started laughing again. "What did you do with it after I left?" Sasuke was expressionless but Toshiro read him like an open book. "You didn't… you used it on your own brother!" She was laughing so hard that she was holding her stomach and sat down in a chair. Toshiro wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. "What did he do?"

Sasuke shrugged the question off. Toshiro looked into his eyes with a sad look. "Onesai Sasuke-Kun, tell me what he did."

Sasuke hesitated, but he smirked as he remembered what happened. "He… he jumped out of his bed and chased me threw the entire house."

Toshiro burst out laughing again. "Did he try to get you back?"

"He _tried_…" Sasuke looked down the hall and spotted Itachi's old room.

"He found a large bucket and filled it to the brim with ice cold water."

"Did he get you with it?" Toshiro asked. "Did he drench you sometime in the middle of the night?"

"No… he walked in sometime after two in the morning with it. Fortunately for me he wasn't watching where he was going, so he tripped and fell over something on the floor. But the one thing I do remember most was all the cursing and then he stormed out of the room, partially wet. He gave up after that…"

"I would have too. That would've stunk had he succeeded…" Toshiro stifled a yawn.

"That it would've…" Sasuke saw Toshiro yawn out of the corner of his eye and he said, "It's late. We should probably turn in."

Toshiro looked down disappointed, but then smiled. "Yeah, okay…" She stood up and glanced down the hallway. "Uh… where am I supposed to sleep? I don't want to disturb those two rooms down at the end of the hall though…" She was referring to Itachi and his parents' old rooms.

'_Neither do I…'_ "I understand." Sasuke thought a moment and came up with a solution. "You can have my room."

"Then where are you supposed to sleep?" Toshiro countered. Sasuke looked back to Toshiro. "Right behind where you're currently standing. Toshiro was flabbergasted. "You've got to be kidding me… you're going to sleep on that thing?" She stuck her thumb out at the sofa behind her. "I'll take it if necessary."

Sasuke didn't move. "I wasn't joking. I was serious." There was a moment of silence, but Toshiro eventually agreed. "Okay fine…" She looked behind her one last time. "Good night Sasuke. And arigato gozimasu." She turned away and walked into his room. "You're welcome…" he mumbled as Toshiro closed the door behind her.

'_Wow, it's really dark in here…'_

she ran her hand along the walls looking for the light switch. Unable to find one, _'Forget to… I'll just open the window.'_ Toshiro dove into her memories and remembered where the window was. She carefully made her way threw the darkness and pushed open the shutters.

The moonlight spilled threw the open window and lit up part of the small room. Toshiro smiled a little and mumbled, "It hasn't changed a bit. It's just like I remember…" She sat on the bed and took her sandals off, placing them at the foot of the bed. _'I never thought I'd be here again… this house is overflowing with all sorts of memories…'_ She thought for a moment. _'Just like mine probably is…'_ She hesitated and pulled herself under the covers. After a while Toshiro's eyelids began to droop, and eventually she fell asleep.

A/N: Sorry about all of the talking, but there's more of that to come. Now, I'm off to type up chapter 7. Ja ne!

And review! To think that I almost forgot to say that... heh... -


	7. A Friendly Morning

Chapter 7

Toshiro awoke to the sound of rushing water. _'What's that?'_ She looked at her whereabouts and recalled the night before. _'Oh, I forgot… I'm not in the Village Hidden in the Sand anymore am I?'_ Toshiro got out of the bed and looked out the open window. She smiled at the warm sun that was creeping over the horizon, and breathed in the crisp morning air.

Toshiro put her sandals on and made the bed just before she left the room. Silently she walked down the hallway past the bathroom. _'He must be taking a shower,'_ she thought. Toshiro let herself out the front door and sat on one of one of the steps.

'_Why did I ever leave?'_ She closed her eyes. _'I can't believe how much I've missed it… the sights, the smells, the sounds of children on their way to the Ninja Academy, all the memories… there was none of that in the Village Hidden in the Sand.'_ Toshiro opened her eyes and watched two kids, who could've been no more than eight, walking side by side towards the Ninja Academy. _'I remember those days…'_ She looked in the opposite direction. _'Walking from over there to the Academy every morning… and sometimes meeting Sasuke halfway there…'_

She smiled at the thought. But it slowly receded as those thoughts landed on the place that she had once called home. _'For what purpose did she do that?'_ Then soon after, it all came flooding back. A voice echoed through her mind, _'They were not but measuring sticks to test my potential…'_ Toshiro sighed sadly, _'And then she disappeared… gone without a trace…'_ Toshiro heard Izunami's words in her mind again.

'_Why have I been left alive? She said that I was just another measuring stick to her…'_ She puzzled over this for a moment and it soon all became clear to her. _'I thought you still had a shred of decency left in you still Izunami. You baka… leaving me alive to grow stronger, just so I'd be a bit more of a challenge to you? That'll be a mistake you won't live long enough to regret…'_ Toshiro hovered over this thought a moment, but as she heard footsteps behind her she snapped out of her train of thought.

"What're you doing out here?" Sasuke walked up and stood next to Toshiro.

"Oh… I'm just thinking…" She looked up at him and smiled.

"You've been doing a lot of that lately… a lot more than I remember."

Toshiro looked back out ahead of her. "I've realized," she mumbled, "That sometimes you have to slow down and enjoy everyday you have…" Her smile faded. She hung her head and her hair fell forwards, hiding any facial expression she might have had. "You never know which one will be your last…" she closed her eyes. "But I do know this…" she whispered, "I won't meet that day until Izunami meets it first." She glanced up the street at the house that held that pool of memories. Toshiro stood up and slowly walked back into Sasuke's house and sat on the sofa.

Sasuke stood outside the door, taking in Toshiro's words. After a moment of silence, somehow, he understood in the slightest way. A short-lived wave of anger swept through Sasuke as he flashed back to his childhood.

In his mind's eye he saw himself training with Toshiro four long years ago. He remembered the last time he had seen Izunami; her long, black hair hiding her vividly green orbs from his view. She had been more silent then she had ever before been. More distant… like Itachi had been. He had found this odd, for Izunami used to act just like Toshiro; warm and happy, and friendly with just about anyone and everyone she met. Then, as Itachi changed, so did she.

Sasuke looked behind him through the window and spotted Toshiro sitting on the sofa, her chin resting in her hand. Sasuke stayed put. Toshiro was usually not the most pleasant person when she was pressed about what she was thinking. But it made no difference, for he had a pretty good idea that they were on Izunami.

He walked back in and decided that it was best to wait until Toshiro wanted to bring it up. Sasuke sat down beside her, and as he heard her sniff, he thought, _'Three, two, one...'_

"I don't know why she had to go and do what she did!" Toshiro burst out as she leaned up against Sasuke. He was expecting it so he wasn't so sure why he was so surprised when she had done so.

"She didn't have to do that to them!" Sasuke said nothing back to her. He just listened. But to him, the real surprise came when she started crying into his shoulder. The slightest shade of pink crept up into his face.

"How could I just forget everything like I did!" Toshiro sobbed, "I should've stayed here like you did!" She crossed her arms and set them on the arm of the sofa. She buried her head into her arms and her crying increased.

Sasuke lifted an arm up, hesitated, and then he gently placed his hand on top of her shoulder; just like he had done four long years before. Toshiro was startled a bit by his touch, but her sobbing evanesced, slowing down to a small trickle of salty tears. As the stream disappeared she looked back at Sasuke, smiled lightly, and hugged him.

"Arigato gozimasu, Sasuke-Kun. I'm glad that I've got you as a friend…" She looked up and watched the pink in Sasuke's face become more visible. She let go and looked away, feeling herself blushing as well. "Gomen… Sasuke…"

"It… it's alright…" _'Didn't this exact same thing happen four years ago?'_ he thought to himself.

After a few moments of silence, it was broken by Toshiro. "Sasuke? Um, do you think that maybe you could kind of show me around the Village Hidden in the Leaves? I've kind of forgotten how to get around here… Onesai? Because it would just make my day if I got myself lost…"

Sasuke welcomed the idea if it would break the silence. "Ii yo." He rose to his feet with Toshiro next to him. They walked out the door, and it closed with a click behind them.

Sasuke showed Toshiro almost the entire village. He was going to show her the fastest and safest route to the hospital, but when he saw Sakura and Ino coming from that direction he decided against it. After Toshiro's confused look, Sasuke explained to her his… situation. They stopped for lunch at the Ramen Bar not soon after.

"Fangirls!" Toshiro laughed as she accepted a bowl of ramen. "Fangirls you say!" She burst out laughing again.

"You heard me. Don't laugh, it's not funny." Sasuke sat down next to Toshiro.

"Ii yo, you're right Sasuke it's not funny… it's hysterical!" She took a bite and continued, "So they follow you around with wide dreamy eyes, hopelessly going head over heels for you! Amazing… so I imagine they must hate me?"

"Probably."

"You know, you've got quite an, interesting, Sensei. With all those 'you're-not-supposed-to-read-unless-you're-eighteen-and-over-books' that he reads, they're bound to mess with his brain sooner or later."

"More sooner than later." Sasuke mumbled, "They probably already have…"

"I think so." Toshiro said after a large bite. "I saw him walk by a bookstore and when I took a second look, he had run in! He came back out moments later with his nose in an orange book and with two or three more tucked under his arm."

Sasuke shook his head. "Typical."

Before she knew it, Naruto was sitting at Toshiro's other side with _three_ bowls of ramen before him. He smiled at her and happily he said, "Hiya To-" He saw Sasuke and his smile turned upside down. "-shiro…"

"Uh… hi Naruto! Fancy meeting you here!" She smiled good naturedly at him.

Naruto didn't even hear her; he was too busy glaring at Sasuke. "What're _you_ doing here! I thought you hated ramen!"

Sasuke didn't even look up but replied, "Apparently you don't know me very well, do you?" He swallowed another bite. Naruto looked down at his own food and wolfed down an entire bowl of ramen in a couple seconds.

Toshiro spent a few seconds blinking in disbelief as Naruto did so. "Uh… ii yo?" _'And I thought I loved ramen…'_ She shrugged it off and went back to her own food. _'He really is a weird one…'_

By the time Sasuke and Toshiro finished their bowls, Naruto had just finished his fourth. Toshiro just shook her head a couple of times as she watched him pay the owner, and then dart off after seeing Sakura walk by.

"You know," Toshiro said, watching him walk after the pink-haired teen, "Team 7 is put together with the most interesting people."

"You don't know the half of it…"

A/N: Hai, hai, I know this one was kinda boring... demo, the next chapter has also been released! How kawaii it is! Review the next chapter! -


	8. A Prank Gone Wrong

Chapter 8

The next couple of days went by quickly for Toshiro. An apartment vacancy never appeared and she wasn't keen on returning to the place she once called home, so she stayed with Sasuke.

Sasuke was a little more open because of Toshiro. She rarely ever left his side, and when she did, she would have a sad expression on her face and he would send her a sympathetic look.

Now and then Toshiro would have the occasional yelling matches with Sakura. And, of course, they were usually about everyone's favorite raven-haired, Sharingan wielding Uchiha. The arguments would go on for what would seem like hours, but had only in fact been a minute or so.

Sakura would point out flaws and tell about how much Sasuke liked her over Toshiro. Toshiro on the other hand would go on and on about how much longer she had known Sasuke and pointing out how much more time she was spending with him over Sakura.

Sooner or later Sasuke would walk into the middle of the argument and then there would be total silence. Then huge smiles would appear on the two girl's faces and they would shout, "Hi Sasuke-Kun!" and start walking towards him.

Sakura would glare at Toshiro and hold her back, but Toshiro, being stronger than the young cherry blossom, easily overpowered her and walked over to Sasuke smiling triumphantly.

They would then walk away leaving the pink-haired girl behind them, but not before Toshiro stuck her tongue out at her. Sakura would then cross her arms and storm off hoping to think up ways of getting Toshiro away from Sasuke, and Naruto wanted to do the same thing. So against all things natural, they teamed up.

Sakura cautiously approached Naruto with a frustrated look on her face. Naruto took a couple steps backwards from Sakura nervously, "N-Nani?"

She hesitated. "You like Toshiro don't you?"

Naruto cast his eyes downward at the ground, "…what about her? How'd you know?"

"Well," Sakura stated in a matter-of-factly way, "It's kind of obvious. But, if you really like her, I've got an idea to get you Toshiro." _'And for me to get Sasuke at last!'_ Inner Sakura burst out at that moment and a smirk came to her face.

Naruto smiled as he understood her words. "You do?"

She nodded sternly, "Hai. It's quite simple actually…" and she proceeded to tell him her plan.

Toshiro walked up to Naruto as he finished his ramen. "Hi Naruto!" She said as she stepped into the ramen bar.

He looked up and smiled at her. "Hi!" _'She's actually talking to me! And Sasuke's not in sight either! Here's my chance!'_

Before Naruto could say anything else though, Toshiro blurted out, "Nee, Naruto? Where's Sasuke-Kun?"

Naruto's smile faded and he realized that Sakura's plan had already begun to go into effect. He smirked as he said, "I think I know where he is."

Toshiro smiled also, "Arigato Naruto!" As Toshiro followed Naruto out of the Ramen Bar, he flashed back to the day before.

"This is what I need you to do," Sakura smiled, "I'm going to occupy Sasuke for a while and then-"

Naruto interrupted, "You're going to talk to him? And he's going to listen? Gomen, gomen…" Sakura's glare shut him up immediately.

"Anyways," she continued, "Then I need you to find Toshiro and tell her that Sasuke's over here. So, when she gets here I'm going to trip her, but not let her fall. See, by me catching her Sasuke will see how nice and caring I am compared to her. She wouldn't do the same for me."

Naruto blinked a couple of times. _'That's all your big forehead could come up with?'_ He kept that comment to himself. "That's it?"

"You got any other bright ideas Naruto?"

Naruto looked away. "I got it." He got up and left, the Ramen Bar clearly on his mind.

"So where did you say Sasuke was?" Toshiro inquired again.

Naruto hid his sly smile. "Right around that corner, I think…"

"Arigato again Naruto!" She darted off and turned the corner. Her run slowed slightly as she saw Sakura talking to Sasuke, even though Sasuke wasn't really listening.

"Hi Sasuke-Kun!"

A dark shadow appeared over Sakura's eyes and she stuck her foot out in front of her.

Toshiro didn't see Sakura's foot at first but when she did it was far too late. She tripped over it and started to fall. Sakura prepared herself to catch Toshiro, but unfortunately, she missed and Toshiro continued to fall. Sasuke took a couple steps forwards and caught Toshiro in his arms, but the force of her running knocked them both over.

'_What's going on? What did I land-'_ She opened her eyes and found that when she had landed on top of Sasuke, her lips had unintentionally locked with his. Toshiro scrambled off of Sasuke, turning a million shades of red in the process and sat on the ground, her hand on the side of her head. Sasuke got to his feet and turned around, trying to hide his slightly blushing face.

Sakura's face was shining a brilliant red with jealousy, and Naruto looked like he'd seen a ghost. "Th-th-they… they just…" He stopped himself abruptly.

Without turning around, Sasuke extended a hand and pulled Toshiro off the ground. When she came to her full height she was standing next to Sakura, but on evil glare made her take a step back. Toshiro's eyes became downcast and she started walking away with no further comment.

She stopped for a brief moment and mumbled, "Gomen nasai Sasuke…" Toshiro glanced at him through the corner of her eye and then glared at Sakura. "Why'd you trip me Sakura?"

She stumbled over her words, "I… uh… no… you're a klutz… you weren't watching where you were going and tripped over me!" Without further anew Sakura stormed off, Naruto right behind her. "Go away Naruto!"

"But I-"

"Shoo!"

Toshiro looked away from the pair fading into the distance. "Gomen… Sasuke-Kun…" and she started walking away.

Sasuke walked up next to her, his hands in his pockets.

Toshiro was a bit surprised to find Sasuke still walking with her. _'He… he's not mad at me?'_ A slight blush crept up into her cheeks as a small smirk appeared on her lips.

"Nani?"

"I thought you'd be frustrated…"_'But more embarrassed than anything else… like I am…' _She looked to her left, away from Sasuke.

He shrugged, "Truthfully, I don't know what to think."

Toshiro glanced at him briefly. "Oh, you don't? So, you're not mad at me? At all?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"Nani? Hontou ni?"

"… hontou ni."

She looked back at Sasuke, and a soft came to her face. She walked a little closer to him than she had before. Toshiro slowly inched closer and closer to Sasuke and eventually she was kind of leaning on him while she was walking.

Sasuke could see the uneasiness in her eyes and he slowly put his left arm around her in a friendly manner.

Toshiro's heart skipped a beat as he did so, and she found herself thinking, _'Why do I feel this way around him? Might I… do I have feelings for him…? …arigato Sakura…'_ Toshiro's smile widened slightly. _'…arigato…'_

A/N: Aww, how kawaii! I got this idea and just had to put it in here! I'm in the process of typing up chapter 9 as we speak, and boy it's so suspenseful! Lots of action in it. Aha! Just finished it. Ii yo, it should be out by next Saturday. Onesai, onesai, onesai, review! Gosh darn it, I don't even care if it's a flame! Just review! -


	9. Nani? You caused this!

Chapter 9

As usual, Toshiro woke around 6:30. Being board stiff, she got out of bed and stared out the window for a long period of time.

Sasuke had been awake for quite a while and was doing what he normally did in the mornings. As he walked by and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, he asked, "What're you doing?"

"Nothing… I'm board…" she complained, "There's nothing to do…" Toshiro crossed her arms and sighed, "I would go walk around the village but I'd get lost… if only there was _someone_ to come with me and prevent that…" She emphasized 'someone' greatly and looked at him with a nagging smile. He understood her perfectly and said, "Fine. But give me a couple minutes first, ii yo?"

"Ii yo, Sasuke-Kun!"

Around 10 minutes later

"I don't see why you want to be out here at this hour of the morning." Sasuke said as he followed Toshiro out his front door. "Nothing's going to be open."

"Point being? It's better out here than just sitting around doing nothing." She almost walked onto the street where her house was, but she stopped herself and made an abrupt turn and started walking in the opposite direction.

Walking through the entire village they found that Sasuke was right. Everything _was_ closed. "Ii yo, so you were right." She walked out of the front gate of the village and into the shallow part of the woods.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke took in his surroundings cautiously.

"I'm not sure, I wanted to get out of the Village Hidden in the Leaves for a little bit, demo, it also seems that something called me out here… I can't explain it. Gomen…"

Sasuke glanced at the tops of the trees closest to him while thinking, _'Something called her out here? Either wanting to discuss something or…'_ He heard something move in a tree twenty feet away from them. _'Or it's an ambush!'_

"Toshiro move!" Sasuke ran forward and pushed Toshiro out of the way of an oncoming kunai. As it struck the ground they both walked over to it, looking at it closely.

Toshiro sucked in a sharp intake of breath and whispered, "It… that… that's the kunai that…" She fell silent. Sasuke mentally saw a young, raven-haired boy walk down the main road of the Uchiha clan, looking at all the damage that the kunai, now lying in front of him, had caused.

Sasuke whipped around and started running through the trees towards the place where the kunai had been launched from. Toshiro gracefully jumped into the trees and started running also. _'Is that who I think it is?'_

Sasuke threw a kunai at the stranger, but he missed and it lodged into the tree. _'Kuso! I've never been able to hit him!'_

A cloaked figure hopped out of the trees and landed gently in the middle of a small clearing. As Toshiro pulled Sasuke's kunai out of the tree and took in the dark billowing cloak with clouds all over it, she gasped and her eyes narrowed. As she landed next to Sasuke in the clearing she mumbled in a low tone, "You…" Time seemed to stop as the brother's bore into each other's eyes.

Itachi's red eyes found and locked onto Toshiro. His glare sent a slight wave of fear through her.

"A sign of fear, I see?" Itachi stated as he saw her shiver.

Toshiro quickly glanced at Sasuke as he burst put, "Leave her out of this Itachi! You've got nothing to do with her life!"

Itachi switched his gaze to his younger brother. "On the contrary, little brother. It is partially _because_ of me that everything went so horribly…" Itachi said coolly.

Toshiro's eyes were wide. _'Nani?'_

"Don't call me that!" Sasuke charged at his older brother with a brute force. But Itachi was expecting this reaction and sent brutal punch to Sasuke's abdomen. He flew into a tree and there was a sickening thud on impact.

He landed at the base of the tree and Toshiro ran towards him, her eyes never leaving Itachi. "Sasuke, are you alright?" She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Her glare was backed up by Sasuke's own and she shouted, "Itachi! Where is Izunami! Where is my Sister!"

"…when she wants you to know, you will know… but it isn't the time, nor the place…" Itachi refused to say more.

"I know there's more to it than that! Those words are yours, not Izunami's! You manipulated her, and forced her to join you and do the same things you did to Sasuke! Didn't you!" Toshiro's piercing voice had no effect on Itachi.

"Izunami," he hesitated, "Izunami followed me of her own free will. I advised against it, but she didn't heed my words."

"Lies, all lies!" Toshiro glanced at Sasuke, thinking about what and how they were going to get out of this predicament.

"Think what you will, and disbelieve the truth."

Itachi's cold words stuck to Toshiro like glue. _'Could he be telling the truth? It can't be! She'd never… or… or would she…?'_ "I have to hear that come from her lips! Where is Izunami!"

Itachi repeated himself, "It is neither the time, nor the place. When she wants to be seen, she will be." Itachi was about to leave when Toshiro charged at him with Sasuke's kunai in hand. He narrowly dodged the kunai and it lodged into a tree. She turned around sharply and still went after Itachi. "I don't have time for this…" Itachi mumbled to himself.

Just as Sasuke started running in to help Toshiro, Itachi grasped her left arm and threw her high into the air. He also jumped into the air and made is leave.

Sasuke was about to run after his brother but when he saw Toshiro falling, he halted in his tracks. He positioned himself directly under Toshiro and he caught her in his arms unhurt.

He set her down on her feet and looked in the direction Itachi had left in, realizing that it was far too late to follow him.

"A… arigato Sasuke… demo, you didn't have to. You should've gone after Itachi…" Toshiro looked to the ground shamefully.

"Iie," he mumbled back, "Because then you would've been… well, you know…"

Toshiro sent him a thankful smile and tried to change the subject. "You know, that's the third time you've caught me. Arigato again."

Sasuke said nothing, and she realized that his thoughts were on something entirely different. Toshiro looked deep and hard into his onyx eyes and watched him flinch in the slightest way.

"Nani chigimasu?"

"It's nothing…" He broke the stare, trying not to give anything else away.

Toshiro's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I know better than that." She walked over to his right and extended her hand towards his side, seeing what he would do. When she got too close Sasuke scooted away, just out of her reach.

"So there _is_ something! Let me see how bad that impact with the tree was."

Sasuke didn't move. "Iie..."

"I need to see how bad it is. Let me see it." She took a step towards him and he took another step back.

"Iie."

Toshiro's frustration was beginning to flare and Sasuke knew it. She continued walking towards him. He backed into a tree and that sent a clearly visible jolt of pain through him.

"Let me see your side Sasuke! My mother was a medical nin so I know how to treat injuries! I'm not going to ask again, now let me see your side!"

He knew she spoke the truth but Sasuke glared at Toshiro, and she returned it with double the ferocity. He stopped glaring and looked away. Toshiro reached out again, but this time he didn't move. She inched her hand closer and closer and she gently lifted up part of is large-collared shirt. "How bad does it hurt?" As Toshiro saw Sasuke's wound, she gasped and said, "Hold your breath…"

Sasuke had a somewhat nervous expression on his face. "Nani?"

Toshiro's hand just barely brushed his side, but he cried out briefly and his knees buckled. "Don't… don't touch it…"

"Gomen… demo, it's…" Toshiro took a closer look at Sasuke's side. "It's either a cracked or broken rib. We need to get you back to the hospital in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Now."

There was another painful throb through Sasuke's side, and his knees ended up on the ground. A hand flew to his right side and the other was on the ground, holding himself up. A seriously concerned look appeared on Toshiro's face and she put her hand on his shoulder, trying to provide a little comfort. "You shouldn't be walking, so," she turned around and got on her own knees. "Get on my back. I'm going to carry you there."

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back as much pain as possible. "…I don't think you'll be able to carry me very far… just… go get Kakashi Sensei…"

Toshiro shook her head in defiance. "Iie, I'm not leaving you here. And I'm stronger than you know me to be. And don't you argue with me…"

Sasuke finally agreed and somehow, Toshiro managed to get him onto her back, and she took off. She tried to make the trip not too uncomfortable for Sasuke but she didn't dare slow down. She found her way out of the forest that they were in, and the village gates came into sight. Her heart stopped as she realized that they were closed, and that there was no one around to help her open it. As loud as she possibly could she shouted, "Oi! Open the gates! Onesai, open the gates!" When no one cried back, Toshiro panicked. _'No no no! This can't be happening! There has to be someone there to help me!'_ She raised a hand to her lips and let out a loud and shrill whistle. Then finally, someone answered back. There was commotion behind the gates and they opened. Toshiro had a relieved expression and ran threw the gates. "Arigato! Arigato gozimasu!" she shouted to the man who opened the gates, and she kept running.

'_I hope I don't get lost on the way to the hospital… the effect would be… traumatic…'_ She ran threw the village only taking the roads and streets that she knew. Then, she made a wrong turn. Toshiro stopped, and started to panic once again. "Which way now!" She asked herself, looking in every which way.

A voice on her back mumbled, "To your left…" Toshiro heard this and took off running again. She breathed a sigh of relief as the hospital came into sight.

"Thank goodness, we're here!" She went running in and almost knocked a couple people over. She quickly apologized and went running straight into the heart of the hospital.

Sasuke moaned a little as Toshiro set him down in the chair, and she called for a doctor. A group of people ran in with a stretcher and took Sasuke into another room. Toshiro attempted to follow, but one of the nurses stopped her. "I'm sorry miss, but you'll have to stay here. They're going to treat his wounds."

"But they don't even have a diagnosis yet!" Toshiro argued.

The nurse tried to calm her down. "Then why don't you tell me what it is?"

Toshiro was near tears, but replied, "He took a hard punch to his abdomen and went flying into a tree trunk. I believe that the impact broke one of his ribs on his right side."

The nurse nodded quickly and walked out of the room to relay the information.

Toshiro sighed and slumped into a chair. She put her hand on her head. _'I hope he's okay…'_ The concerned look returned. _'I swear… if he… he dies... I… I don't know what I would do…'_ She stared at the door that they took Sasuke into. _'He had better be okay…'_

A/N: Finally it's done! Okay, this chapter was so fun to write. I mean, trying to type like Itachi would talk was quite a brain tickler. But fun nonetheless! - I know I've got you all hooked now, so do you all see the botton at the bottom? Yes? Now click it and I don't care how long it is but send me a review!


	10. A whole month?

Chapter 10

Toshiro sat in that waiting room for nearly half an hour, worrying. Finally a nurse walked out looking for her. When she spotted her, she walked over and sat in the empty chair on Toshiro's left. Toshiro looked up with worry clear in her eyes. The nurse found her voice. "Are you okay?"

Toshiro nodded slightly. "Yeah . . . but I'm just really worried…" She looked back down. _'He'd better be okay… he'd better be okay…'_

A smile appeared on the nurse's face. "Well, there's nothing to worry about. He is expected to make a full recovery."

Toshiro's face lit up. "Hontou ni? Are you sure?" The smile widened. _'Arigato! That's the best thing that I've heard for a long time…'_ Toshiro jumped to her feet. "So when can I go see him?"

The nurse shushed her. "You can see him now if you like, but please keep quiet. A blonde and pink-haired girl is sitting around the corner from you, and I told Sasuke that I'd see to it that they don't make their way into his room." Toshiro started walking towards the room. The nurse quickly added, "But, he needs to stay in bed and he can't sit up. Other than that, go on in."

Toshiro agreed. "Okay. And arigato!" She whispered.

Toshiro walked in the room and closed the door behind her. _'I kinda knew the only wanted to see me… I don't blame him for not wanting to see Sakura and Ino…'_

When Toshiro entered the room, she saw Sasuke lying in the hospital bed with his eyes closed. The room was dimly lit by a little bit of sunlight creeping around the curtains pulled across a large window. Of course, the first thing that she noticed was that they had removed Sasuke's shirt and wrapped a thick bandage around his torso. Toshiro forced a smile. Sasuke cracked one of his eyes open to see who it was, and when he saw it was Toshiro he tried to sit up.

She rushed forward and gently pushed him back down. "They said that you shouldn't sit up." She gave him a hug. Sasuke stopped, slightly surprised, and laid back down. He smiled, and Toshiro grabbed his hand. _'I'm glad he's okay…'_ Toshiro's smile widened. "So… are you going to be okay now?"

Sasuke nodded. "From what they say I should be fine." _'They SAY I'll be fine… but I don't know how long I can deal with the being waited on. But, with Toshiro being here now… I already feel better.'_ Sasuke put his hand on the brace-like bandage. "But I just can't stand this thing…"

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Toshiro walked around and sat on the other side of the bed. She smiled most happily with accomplishment. "I told you I could carry you. You didn't believe I could do it… but I did…"

Sasuke sent her an annoyed look. "Now was I supposed to know that you could carry me? But… gomen nasai for doubting you Toshiro…"

Toshiro smiled, still holding his hand. "No, it's okay. You didn't know I could carry you."

Sasuke closed his eyes. "Well, arigato… arigato for not leaving me back there…"

Toshiro looked into Sasuke's eyes and there was silence for a moment or two. But it was soon broken by two feminine voices screeching "Nani! We want to see him!" Sasuke looked from the door to Toshiro. "Did you by any chance lock that door?"

"Oh, that would be smart now wouldn't it?" Toshiro stood up and strode over to the door, locking it. "Ii yo, now it's locked." She walked back over to Sasuke and sat on the bed next to him.

'_At least I won't get hassled by those two…'_ Sasuke looked back at the door. "You might have just made them more frustrated… knowing how crazy they are they probably are."

They heard Ino and Sakura's voices arguing with the nurse and the nurse telling them that Sasuke was resting. Toshiro smiled and commented, "Like they'll fall for that…"

Toshiro smiled with again. "Yeah, I probably did make them mad…" _'I really hope they don't find a way in here…'_ Her smile faded as Toshiro's eyes found Sasuke's bandage. "So, how bad was it? How long are you going to be stuck in here?"

Sasuke looked back at Toshiro. "I'm not sure, but maybe about a month or so…"

Toshiro crossed her arms. "A month?" she sighed, "That's a long time…"

Sasuke sent her a confused look. "What are you talking about? It's going to be way longer for me! I'm bedridden for a month!"

Toshiro shook her head. "But I'll be coming every day. I promise ii yo? She grabbed Sasuke's hand, and he forced a smile.

There was a knocking at the door and Toshiro looked at Sasuke. "It's not Sakura or Ino. I think you can open it." Toshiro looked at Sasuke with an 'are you sure' look and stood. She walked over to the door, and opened it. Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as she saw that it was only the nurse. The nurse smiled as well, and spoke, "Hello Toshiro. I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Toshiro looked at her with big eyes. "Nani? But… but… can't I stay here with him? I don't want to leave…" She looked at Sasuke sadly. "Tell her… I want to stay with you…"

The nurse sent Toshiro a sympathetic look. "Gomen nasai… but you need to leave. Sasuke needs his rest."

Sasuke looked from Toshiro to the nurse. "She couldn't stay five minutes?" The nurse shook her head.

Toshiro was on the verge of tears. She ran back over to Sasuke, grabbed his hand tightly, and sat in the bed. She looked back at the nurse. "Onesai? Just a little bit longer?"

The nurse tried to keep a straight face, but Toshiro's big eyes got the best of her. She sighed, "Alright, I'll give you just a little longer if you promise to leave after that. Ii yo?"

Toshiro's face lit up. "Arigato." The nurse gave Toshiro one last look and left the room. Toshiro looked back at Sasuke and her voice dropped down to a whisper. "What do you want me to do? I want to stay with you until you get better. You know that I have nowhere to go anyways. If they make me leave, then where will I go? If I leave, you'll be lonely…" _'And so will I…'_ She smiled faintly. Toshiro warily looked at the door, and them back to Sasuke. "Never mind… you shouldn't be worrying about me. You need to get well…"

"It's okay… I don't want you getting yourself into trouble." Sasuke handed Toshiro a pair of keys. "And if you need a place to stay, then you can stay at my place until you find somewhere else." Sasuke saw Toshiro's look and then continued, "I'm sure… you can stay there. If you're not here when I get out, "I'll just show up there…" _'Remember… I'M not the one who gets lost in this village… It's you….'_

Toshiro smiled at Sasuke. "Alright… But I do promise you this… I'll come by and visit you everyday until you get out. And if you're sleeping then I'll just wait outside until you wake up… everyday for a month." The nurse appeared at the doorway.

"I thought so…"

Toshiro looked at the nurse and she summoned Toshiro to come out. Toshiro looked back at Sasuke, still holding his hand. "I guess I'll have to go now…" Toshiro smiled more widely. "I'll see you tomorrow… bye…" She walked out the door.

"Sayonara, Toshiro." Sasuke looked at the nurse and mentally asked her, _'And the visiting hours couldn't be longer because…?'_ The nurse closed the door behind Toshiro and watched her walk out of the hospital, quite alone.

Toshiro followed the road leading to Sasuke's house. _'I wish I could've stayed with Sasuke… what fun this day's going to be…'_ She then turned and walked out of the village towards the woods she had exited not too long ago. She found the bench that she had carried Sasuke from and she sat down on it. _'I guess I'll just sit here for a while and waste time then… I hope Sasuke gets the rest he needs and gets better soon…'_

She looked to her right and found the place where Sasuke had sat not but hours before. Toshiro set her hand on the spot. She sighed lightly. _'Now I wish that I had never asked him to go out with me this morning… If I had only known this was going to happen, then I never would have…' _Toshiro looked down as tears threatened in the corners of her eyes. _'I'm sorry Sasuke…' _

She heard someone walk up to her and they started tapping their foot impatiently. When Toshiro looked up, she immediately recognized the short pink hair and vivid green eyes. "What did you do to Sasuke-Kun!" She yelled.

A/N: Finally, it'sdone... well, I hope you like it. Enjoy, and review! A review a day keeps enraged authors at bay! -


	11. What did you do to him?

Chapter 11

Toshiro looked at her with an agressive attitude. "I didn't do anything to Sasuke… he's fine."

Sakura crossed her arms in annoyance. "Sasuke-Kun is in the hospital with a broken rib! Don't tell me that nothing happened to him! Ino and I saw you running out of the forest with him on your back! What did you do!"

Toshiro looked taken back. "I didn't hurt him! I saved him… see, I carried Sasuke from the forest to the hospital!" Toshiro's voice rose. "He got hurt because he was fighting… someone… and he got thrown against a tree trunk! That's how he broke his rib!" Toshiro sent Sakura a dirty look and she crossed her arms.

Sakura took a step forward threateningly and she burst out angrily, "Sasuke-Kun wouldn't need to be saved!" Sakura's angry expression turned into one of concern. "Who was fighting Sasuke!" Inner Sakura burst out at that moment. _'Who could've done this to my Sasuke-Kun! I'm gonna punch his lights out!'_

Toshiro yelled back raging like mad, "If you don't believe that than why don't you ask him yourself! Oh wait… I forgot he doesn't want to see you!" Toshiro stood up and started walking away, shaking with anger.

Sakura gasped and stomped her foot. "How could you say that! I couldn't see him because Sasuke-Kun was resting!" Sakura started walking back towards the hospital.

Toshiro stopped and turned around yelling, "Well if you noticed I walked out of the hospital but you didn't see me in there did you! That's because I was in Sasuke's room the whole time! And Sasuke even told me that he only wanted to see me! He doesn't like you! You're just like al the other fangirls! As for me I'm his best friend and I… and I…" Toshiro fell silent and blushed. "Why would I want to hurt him if I… if I…" She couldn't say it.

"If you what!" Sakura was brandishing an angry glare at Toshiro.

"…if I… uh… how do I say this…"

"Spit it out already, Toshiro!" Sakura's anger was flaring and Toshiro knew it all to well.

"Why should I have to tell you anything! Why would you, of all people, care about what I have to say!"

"How true, why would I? Ah that's it. I don't!"

"Then stop asking because I'm not going to tell you anything! I don't trust you with my life, or with anything I hold dear to my heart!" Toshiro's eyes grew wide and she blushed feverishly and looked down quickly. _'If I don't shut up now, I'm going to give it away! Then all hell would break loose…'_

Sakura's eyes also grew wide and she harshly whispered, "You… you love… Naruto!"

Toshiro stood up and glared. "That's what you think! You may have a huge forehead, but you sure do have a small brain capacity!" She stormed off.

Toshiro turned around again and started walking towards Sasuke's house again. _'I hate her! I hate her, I hate her, I hate her!'_

Even though Toshiro was pretty far away from Sakura, she still heard it when Sakura burst into angry tears. Toshiro smiled to herself at this sound that was music to her ears.

'_Ha! She's crying… well, she deserves it! She shouldn't be making fun of me like that and not believing me… I CAN'T STAND HER!'_

After a while Toshiro arrived at Sasuke's house. She unlocked the door and walked in. As she closed the door behind her, she looked at her surroundings. She sighed and walked into the bedroom that she had slept in the night before. Toshiro sat on the bed and a sad look appeared on her face. Toshiro sighed sadly and she put her head in her hands._ 'I miss him already…what am I supposed to do now… I… I'm alone again…'_ Ai's last words echoed threw Toshiro's mind again. _'You'll never be alone…' _She swallowed and in words barely audible she mumbled, "…Ai… I may not be alone… demo… demo, it certainly does feel like it…" Toshiro lay down and rolled over as the tears started pouring down her face.

A few moments later, Toshiro fell asleep. But even as she slept, she wasn't at peace. The night that changed her life haunted her dreams. She dreamt of Ai, her parents, Izunami, Itachi, and of her last moments with Sasuke that day, four long years ago. The scene where Toshiro was questioning the nurse came to her. It was then and there that she told Toshiro that Sasuke was dead. She woke with a start.

Toshiro sat up in the bed and yelled, "No! Sasuke!" She was breathing heavily. _'Oh my god… that scared me so much… I'm so glad it was just a dream…'_ Toshiro sat there and attempted to recover from the words spoken in her dreams.

A/N: singsongy I've got the ending done... If you liked the first two chapters then you;re going to like the ending for sure! I know it's a couple days early, but this is the only time I'll be at the library for a while... hai hai, I have no internet at my house at th moment... baka Bay-Tech... Anyways, enjoy and review! - No, I didn't forget to mention that! I never have and never will...


	12. Ashiteru, Toshiro

A/N: Just a warning... of you hate Toshiro being with Sasuke... then you're just going to _love_ this one! Note the sarcasm by the italics...

Chapter 12

A month later…

Toshiro walked into the hospital looking for a nurse. She found one and walked up to her, just as she had done for every day for the past month.

"Good morning Toshiro… I'm assuming you want to see Sasuke?" Toshiro nodded. The nurse smiled and added, "Oh… well, we just released him a few moments ago… he just walked out. I'm sorry, but he wanted to leave as soon as possible. It seemed that he had something very urgent to discuss with you."

Toshiro's face lit up. "So he's okay then?" Toshiro's smile widened and she started running towards the hospital door and she called back over her shoulder, "Sorry, but I have to go… arigato gozimasu!"

Toshiro got to the road and continued running. _'If he just got out, then where is he?'_ She looked franticly down every street she passed and discouraged, she stopped running. _'Where'd he go?'_ She glanced around again. _'If I were him, I'd stick to the back roads… exactly where Sakura and Ino aren't.'_ Toshiro smiled to herself and took off running again.

Toshiro wasn't anywhere near Sasuke when she heard two voiced screaming at each other.

"He's mine forehead girl, get away!"

"No Ino, you pig, Sasuke-Kun likes me _way_ more than you!"

Toshiro crossed her arms in annoyance as she saw Sakura and Ino bickering over Sasuke, and Sasuke attempting to sneak away. She was about to call out to Sasuke when Naruto appeared behind her.

"Hi Toshiro!"

"Uh, hi Naruto... uh... look, this isn't a good time. I've got to tell Sasuke something really important. Now."

The blonde glanced at the ground. "Demo, I have something to tell you too."

Toshiro sighed, "Onesai Naruto, I have to take care of this first. Gomen. Demo, tell me later, ii yo?" She started walking towards Sasuke but Naruto didn't leave. Toshiro ignored him and shouted, "Hi Sasuke-Kun!"

Sasuke stopped walking and his head rose a little. He turned around and Toshiro could tell that he had something important clearly on his mind. "Nani chigimasu Sasuke? The nurse said that there was something that you wanted to tell me." She smiled pleasantly.

"Yeah, there was." Sasuke glanced at the ground.

"Well," Toshiro did the same, "There's something that I wanted to tell you too…"

A voice behind them exclaimed, "Demo, I have something that Toshiro needs to hear over anything else!"

Sasuke sent Naruto the infamous Uchiha glare and Naruto stopped immediately. Toshiro kicked the dirt in nervousness; her heart was in her throat. "Well… you see… I… uh… kuso, it's so hard to say…"

Sasuke nodded slightly, "Hai, I can agree…" He decided not to wait anymore. "… what I wanted to tell you for so long now was… that…" He took Toshiro's hands up in his own, looked into her eyes, and said as clear as day, "…Ashiteru, Toshiro…"

All the bickering that was surrounding them, stopped abruptly. All eyes were on the two of them. Sasuke's words echoed through her mind over and over, and she turned around and began blushing feverishly.

Sasuke looked down as he felt a wave of nervousness wash over him as he waited for her reaction. _'I thought this might happen… she's at a total loss for words…'_

Toshiro's gaze switched from an extremely socked Naruto, to a jealous Ino, and landed on Sakura. Sakura brandished a most frightening expression that plainly stated 'Don't you _dare_ repeat those words back to him...' Toshiro replied to the expression with a most nagging smile and she turned back to Sasuke.

"Uh… I… I've wanted to tell you that same exact thing for a long time too…" She smiled and ran at him, Sasuke catching Toshiro in a warm embrace. "I love you too, Sasuke."

Sasuke was shocked and surprised beyond words could ever hope of explaining. A soft smile came to his lips, and Naruto then burst out, "Demo, that's the exact same thing that I wanted to tell Toshiro!"

Toshiro looked back at Naruto with a sympathetic look. "Gomen nasai Naruto, demo, Sasuke has caught my heart… not you." She glanced at Sakura and then back to the blonde. "Demo, you can always go after Sakura."

Toshiro earned an evil glare from Sakura because of her comment, but Naruto continued, "Demo… demo, I love you Toshiro… not Sakura…" He had a downcast look.

Sakura had a relieved look on her face. _'Thank goodness... what a relief...' _

Toshiro thought of what she was going to say next. _'What a predicament I've gotten myself into this time…'_ Toshiro smiled kindly at Naruto. "Naruto, there are girls out there that are way better than me. Just wait, and be patient. She'll come walking into your life sooner or later and she'll be the one for you… demo, she's not me."

Naruto partially understood her words at first and said, "Nee, you're right. Thanks Toshiro." and he walked away without further comment.

Ino looked from Naruto to Toshiro and she glared. "You just signed your death warrant, Toshiro!" she said in a low and menacing tone. Sakura nodded and they both began advancing towards Toshiro.

Toshiro's eyes grew wide in fear and she purposely backed into Sasuke. "I don't see why you keep following Sasuke around still," She argued, "So you're going to gang up on me, possibly piss him off, and have him hate you for the rest of eternity? Is it truly worth it?"

Sasuke glanced at the black-haired girl now standing in front of him. _'Chikushou… she really has a way with words…'_

They halted their advance and took in her words. They were about to walk away when Ino yelled, "Just wait until the other fangirls find out. You'll be dead by the end of the week!"

Sasuke stepped in front of Toshiro in a protective way. He sent Ino and Sakura a frightening glare and he growled, "Then they'll all have to get through _me_ first."

Ino, who was still turned around, stomped off with a clenched fist while Sakura's eyes were laden with tears. She followed Ino silently.

Toshiro's eyes were wide and she hugged Sasuke from behind. "You'd do that for me? I mean, you'd fight away _all_ your fangirls… just because of _me_?" A wide smile spread itself across her face.

Sasuke turned around and hugged Toshiro back. "And just why wouldn't I?"

Toshiro loosened the hug slightly and she looked into Sasuke's deep, onyx eyes. She lost herself in them and they started inching towards each other.

'_Who could have foreseen this? My first friend ever, has captured my heart…'_ A tear rolled down her face in happiness as their lips met. But this time, it was far from accidental. Toshiro closed her eyes and treasured the moment. _'I wish that this moment would never end…'_

Sasuke brought his hand up to her face and wiped her tear away. He smiled warmly at her and said, "Nani chigimasu? There's no need to cry…"

Toshiro returned the look. "... I should've found the courage to tell you those words a long time ago." She looked down shamefully, and she made a decision. She grabbed Sasuke's hand and started walking towards the street that she had been avoiding throughout her entire stay in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Where are you going now?"

"I'm about to dive into a well full of memories…" was Toshiro's barely audible reply.

A/N: Oh wasn't _THAT _an exciting chapter... --;; Okay, fine. It kind of was... Anyways, the story ends soon! I've got mixed feelings about that... - ... T-T ... I want it to end, but then I've got so many ideas that are really cute and should be in here! Well I have chapter 15 done, at last, but YOU all have to wait and REVIEW if you guys want it! Believe me, it's worth it. Even I was in suspense and I was the one who was typing it all up too! --;; (I like looking through reviews!) Onesai, REVIEW! A review a day keeps enraged authors at bay! ... I already told you people that before, huh? My bad... and you people are just going to have to wait TWO WHOLE WEEKS until chapter 13. I'm sorry! I would've put it out today, but I was stupid and left my flashdrive at home! I'm sorry! T-T ... That's it!


	13. A Well Full of Memories

Chapter 13

Toshiro sighed as she stopped in front of her front door. _'Why have I come back? For what purpose am I here?'_ Toshiro slowly walked closer to the front door and extended a shaky hand. It hovered in the air for a moment, and then she let it fall to her side. Sasuke took a step closer to Toshiro as she mumbled, "I… I can't do it… I can't go back…"

"You don't have to go in…" and Sasuke made as if he was about to leave.

Toshiro made a fist and with her other hand and she grasped the door handle. She took a deep breath, and slowly pulled open the door.

Sasuke turned around and watched Toshiro walk in, and then she made eye contact with him. "You're not coming?"

"Only if you want me to…" but when he saw her nervous expression, he walked in with her.

"…arigato..."

Toshiro solemnly stepped into the center of the living room. As she looked at the table where Toshiro had been sitting the morning everything had gone wrong, a smile ran across her face.

Sasuke hadn't been expecting this but said nothing. He glanced around him and his eyes landed on a rug on the floor. _'Everything here has been cleaned. I don't see a spot of blood anywhere… everything's exactly the same. Besides the emptiness…'_

Toshiro's eyes fell to the floor and she sighed sadly. She ran her hand along the wall while thinking, _'There are so many memories this place has… sadly, not all of them are the favorable ones…'_ Toshiro lifted her finger off of the wall, and a wave of emotion was sent through her as she saw a small drop of dried blood. "…Ai…" she muttered almost inaudibly.

Sasuke walked over to Toshiro and stood beside her, looking to see what she had found. She slumped up against him with a sorrow clear in her eyes. "Maybe I shouldn't have come back… it's too painful…" She looked him in the eyes. "…so… so this is how you feel _all_ the time? I don't know how you cope with it…"

Sasuke said nothing and he looked away. Toshiro felt tears threatening to slip out from the corners of her eyes and she tried to fight them off, but she wasn't very successful. Soon they were flowing freely and she turned around and buried her head into Sasuke's chest.

Through the sobs, she managed to mumble, "It's too much… there's… there's nothing here for me but pain…" She gently pushed herself away from him and started making her way towards the door. Sasuke started to follow her and as he stepped over the rug, Toshiro stopped him.

"Nani?" he asked her as she walked back over to him. She looked at the ground and he understood what she was looking for. He gently kicked the ground and a hollow sound emitted throughout the entire house.

As he stepped off of the rug, Toshiro got on her knees and threw it aside. As she ran her fingers across the closely examined the hardwood floor, she found a loose floorboard and she uncovered a small hole as she pulled it out of place. Anxiety was clearly visible in Toshiro's eyes as held her breath and she plunged her slightly shaking, pale hands into the dark hole. She sighed happily as a small black chest unearthed itself from the depths of the hole.

Sasuke looked curiously at the chest. "What is that?"

Toshiro placed the chest on the floor and rested her hand on the lid. "Ai…" she paused briefly, "Ai told us about a small chest that she put all of her 'most treasured' possessions into and she went on and on about how we would never find it." She smiled lightly. "I guess she didn't think that I would think that the house would ever be silent enough to… to hear the hollow spot…" Toshiro fingered the latch nervously and pulled the lid open. A happy tear rolled down her cheek as she lifted out an old tan pouch. "…I…" She wasn't sure what to say. "...it's… she…"

Sasuke finished Toshiro's sentence for her. "It's the kunai that you gave Ai for her 7th birthday, isn't it? You showed it to me the day before you gave it to her." As he watched Toshiro's tears thicken and she started to shake slightly, he dropped to his knees next to her and gave her a small hug as an attempt to comfort her. "Are you going to be okay?"

She nodded solemnly and wiped a tear away. "…I think so…"

Sasuke's eyes switched from the chest on the ground back to Toshiro. "Well it doesn't look like it…"

She managed a gentle laugh. "Yeah… I know…" She fumbled with the pouch in her hand as she rose to her feet.

Sasuke did the same and glanced at the pouch slightly confused. "You're taking it with?"

Toshiro looked down at the tan object in her hands. "I think so, hai… I just want to have something to remember Ai by…" She looked back at him with a small smile on her face. "All I want is to forget again like I did before…" she mumbled sarcastically. Toshiro reached into her own pouch and pulled out an old, rusty kunai that had slight blood stains at the tip. She sighed as that gruesome memory floated through her mind. "I… I promised…" She took the kunai into both of her pale hands. The memory drifting in her mind continued and she heard it once again.

'_I so swear by the blood of our dead sister that I will kill you by the weapon you did her!'_

Toshiro cast her eyes at the ground. "…what a dilemma I got myself into back then… kuso…" she sighed sadly. _'I don't think I'll be able to nose my way out of this one…'_

Sasuke glanced at the rusting kunai and then back at Toshiro. "You're not going to give up on what you promised, are you?"

She shook her head and looked back up at him. "I can't… I made a promise to her… to both of them… and to myself as well…" Toshiro's saddened expression evanesced almost immediately and determination was clearly present in her vivid, green eyes. "I made a promise… and I intend to keep it…" She bent over and set the now empty chest back into the floor and replaced the floor board. Toshiro paused and looked at the pouching her hands, and delicately tied it around her waist. She walked out the door and closed it behind her and stopped at the street, her keen eyes watching the village gate.

Sasuke followed her outside and stood next to her. His eyes also landed on the gates. "Do you have any idea at all about where they are?"

Toshiro glanced at the ground and then looked back at Sasuke. "Well… uh… iie?" She sweatdropped but then continued, "Demo, knowing Izunami, she's going to come after us first. We just need to be noticed." Her eyes turned back to the gates. "We're going to have to leave the Village Hidden in the Leaves for a while…"

Sasuke had a slightly confused look on his face as he saw Toshiro starting to walk away. "Where do you think you're going? You're just going to leave like that? Without any supplies at all?"

Toshiro stopped in her tracks and her face turned beet red with embarrassment and she looked back at him sheepishly. "…uh…" She searched for the right words. "Oh, no! I mean, I was just about to go do that myself actually!"

Sasuke shook his head.

A/N: Oay, so I hope you all liked it. Well, I'm sure that there's a few who hated this but you'll all like Chapter 14 for sure. It's downloaded and ready to load so patience is the key! I'm not sure when it'll come ou,t but it'll be sometime next week. See you then! Review!


	14. The Beginning of the End

Chapter 14

"Toshiro, you said that they were going to find us, not we find them. If you plan on walking all night, it's not going to bring them any closer." Sasuke looked up at the moon, verifying that it was indeed past 11 o'clock.

Toshiro ignored him and kept walking, adjusting the straps to the pack on her back now and then.

Sasuke glanced at her irritably and asked, "Have you by any chance heard of the word sleep?"

"I'm not tired yet… I'm still walking…" She didn't turn around and looked into the trees they were passing.

Sasuke decided to give up. _'She's too persistent for her own good… after nearly ten times of bringing up the sleep factor she still pushes it away… like I should expect anything else…'_ He stopped in the middle of a small but concealed forest clearing that his keen eyes had picked out. "Do what you will. I'm stopping here. If you want to go and possibly get yourself lost in the woods, be my guest. I am going to sleep." He dropped his pack on the ground and began unrolling his sleeping bag.

Toshiro turned around and crossed her arms, very much annoyed. "Come on, Sasuke-Kun! Let's keep going!!"

Sasuke continued with what he was doing.

She finally gave in. "Fine!" She started doing the same and as she pulled herself into the sleeping bag she muttered almost inaudibly, "…stubborn…"

Sasuke glanced at Toshiro briefly. "Oh so now _I'm_ the stubborn one?"

As she heard his reply, she attempted to hide herself deeper and deeper in the sleeping bag. "…nothing…"

Sasuke rolled over and made an attempt to fall asleep. Toshiro was trying to do the same thing but was unsuccessful. Even through the thickness of the sleeping bag, the cold was still penetrating through easily. She tried to push her shivers away but they came anyways.

As the moon moved across the black sky, the shivers became more and more unbearable for Toshiro. _'It's so cold out here at night!!'_ She glanced over at Sasuke but to her surprise she found that he was coping with the cold just fine. She pulled herself deeper and deeper into the sleeping bag trying to find more warmth, but unfortunately she just got colder as the night progressed.

Sasuke looked at her with his eyes half closed and mumbled, "…what the heck are you doing?"

"…n-nothing…"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I know better then that… nani chigimasu?"

"It-t-t-it's f-f-f-freezing out h-h-h-here!! That's what!!" she replied through clenched teeth. "A-aren't you c-c-cold t-too?"

He shook his head. "Iie. I've been on quite a few missions. One gets used to sleeping outside I suppose. Gomen, I should've warned you before we left."

She smiled at him. "I-it's okay… I'll m-manage…" _'Iie I won't…'_

Sasuke rolled over and tried to fall back asleep. Toshiro held off her shivering until he looked away, and then they came right back. _'Yeah, I'll manage… I'll be fine… if he can stand it then so can I…'_ she thought unsure of herself. _'Arg! No I can't! It's way too cold!!'_ She glanced at the sleeping bag to her right briefly. She hesitated ever so slightly and she rolled her sleeping bag over to the right three feet and stopped directly next to Sasuke. He went ridged for a brief moment and Toshiro exclaimed, "G-g-gomen n-n-nasai d-d-demo it's s-so c-cold!"

Sasuke felt the small glint of guilt inside him. "I already said that I was sorry… I don't think there's anything that I could do. If I could I would but I can't think of anything I could-"

"C-c-can I get in y-your sleeping bag with y-you? Onesai?" Toshiro smiled pleasantly and she knew she was blushing but she didn't really care that much.

Even threw the darkness, Toshiro saw a slight blush appear on Sasuke's face. "Uh..." He blinked a couple times during the duration of silence she knew she had caused. "Uh... I guess…?" Sasuke scooted over in the sleeping bag, allowing her enough room to get in.

"Arigato gozimasu Sasuke-Kun!" She quickly unzipped her sleeping and crawled into his. Her blush reddened more as lay down and finally started getting warm. _'At last… warmth!!'_

Sasuke was kind of in shock and he didn't really know what he was going to do. She rolled onto his back and gazed at the stars floating overhead and tried to succumb to sleep, but he couldn't help thinking, _'…this… this is… awkward…'_ He glanced at her briefly and looked away quickly. After a few, uncomfortable, minutes Sasuke eventually fell asleep. Toshiro smiled to herself, being warm and all, and fell asleep as well.

The morning was cool and quiet; a slight breeze was gliding through the air. Toshiro opened a sleepy eye as the wind blew a leaf onto her face. She slowly made an attempt to sit up and looked up at the sky. Unusually, she had woken before the sun had. _'It's got to be around 6 in the morning! Well, at least it's not cold anymore.'_ She closed her eyes and laid back down and was about to go back to sleep when she all of a sudden remembered, _'Oh yeah! We were going to go after Izunami today! How could I forget?!'_

She bolted upright shouted out, "Come on Sasuke, let's go!" When she opened her eyes she realized that Sasuke wasn't at all asleep. He was sitting behind her on a log with the other sleeping bag already rolled up and on his back. He opened his eyes and uncrossed his arms and questioned, "How much extra sleep do you need?"

Toshiro slowly turned around and smiled at him sheepishly. "Uh, I'm hoping you haven't been sitting there for very long…?"

Sasuke got on his feet and walked by her to the sleeping bag that she had just gotten out of. "Longer then you think."

"Just how long then?"

"Try around the past twenty to thirty minutes." He glanced at her briefly while he started rolling up the second sleeping bag.

An embarrassed expression appeared on her face. "Uh… gomen…" She picked up the rolled up sleeping bag and attached it to the second back pack. She put it on her back and started walking through the forest with Sasuke again just like the night before.

Toshiro looked back up at the sky and the sun's warm and golden light landed on her face. In the other direction there were dark clouds racing towards them. "Oh no," she complained, "Don't tell me it's going to rain…"

"It's going to rain."

Toshiro gently pushed him, "Stop it!"

He ignored her demand and kept walking, listening for the slightest sound.

They walked on in silence for quite a while, being cautious and attempting to expect the unexpected. They heard nothing but the sound of dead leaves crunching beneath their feet, the trickle of water being emitted from the small creek to their right, and the constant annoyance of feelings of anxiety weren't helping anything at all. Toshiro jumped at the smallest sound of either a bird singing or even of a bug flying past her and she inched closer to Sasuke.

He really didn't even notice this as his eyes looked to the left and locked on a spot in the thick trees. Toshiro did the same and she looked to her right. What they had heard and sent shivers down both their spines. The sound of…

…breathing.

They quickly glanced at each other and started moving towards the small sound, Sasuke to the left and Toshiro to the right. At the same time they jumped into the brush and the chase was on!

A/N: Ah yes, finally! So it now is; The Beginning of the End. Sorry, I just had to say that!! Not much to say for this chapter... except... REVIEW!!!


	15. You just tried to kill her!

Chapter 15

Toshiro charged at the person in front of her. _'Who is that? Wait… that looks like… Itachi!'_ She quickly glanced behind her and was surprised to find that Sasuke wasn't following. _'Uh… maybe he got a bad start… he'll catch up soon enough… he'd better…'_

Sasuke looked back and he didn't see Toshiro behind him like he'd thought at first. _'Where'd she get off to?'_ He looked back out ahead of him and recognized the long, black locks of hair. _'Izunami…'_ Everything almost immediately unraveled itself before him. _'Toshiro must be going after Itachi… they're splitting us up and picking us off one by one!'_ A flare of frustration swept through him, unleashing his Sharingans. His speed picked up and soon enough he was side by side with Izunami.

She still looked somewhat the same as Sasuke remembered but her once bright green eyes had been darkened with anger. Her long black hair covered half of her pale face and she was dressed in a cloak that was similar to Itachi's. Izunami glanced at him briefly and then looked away and her speed increased drastically. _'…he's so much like his brother…'_

Toshiro glared at Itachi's swiftly moving form as he ignored her. "Itachi! I know you can hear me! Where is my sister!?" When she got close enough to him she reached out to grab his arm but she missed. _'Kuso… I almost had him!'_

Itachi noticed her determination to get him and he jumped up and disappeared. Toshiro skidded to an abrupt halt and looked around cautiously. "Itachi you coward, where'd you go?!" She reached out with her senses but was still unable to find him. He was in the only place she hadn't looked.

"Behind you."

Her eyes were wide as she felt him breathing down her neck. In a moments notice, he had a kunai at her throat. Without thinking Toshiro darted her left hand towards Ai's pouch of shurikin but Itachi grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. His breath sent shivers down her spine and her heart was racing. She struggled against his grasp, trying to get away. _'I can't move! He's holding me too tightly! How am I going to get out of this one?'_

'_I've waited long enough…'_ Izunami jumped up into the air and had disappeared from Sasuke's view, just like Itachi had.

Sasuke slowed down quite a bit, trying to figure out what their next move was going to be. _'Toshiro's taking too long… she should have been back here by now.'_ He made a sharp turn to the right and darted through the trees to where Toshiro had gone minutes before.

Izunami glared at him from her well-hidden hiding place. _'Could he already have us figured out? I've underestimated him once too often…'_ She emerged from her place among the trees and silently ran after him.

Sasuke landed on a concealed tree branch and had a clear view of Toshiro and Itachi. _'He'd better not try anything…'_ he thought threateningly.

Itachi pushed Toshiro's chin upwards with the tip of the kunai and examined her facial features closely. "…you look just like your sister did when she was younger…"

A bead of sweat rolled down her and Sasuke's faces. Toshiro felt her nervousness grow and she started to tremble. _'What's he going to do? …I hope Sasuke's alright…'_

Itachi raised the kunai up to her cheek and she tensed up causing her trembling to become more noticeable. Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously at his older brother and he silently pulled out a kunai.

Toshiro tried to pull away from the older Uchiha and she pleaded, "…onesai let me go… you have nothing to gain by holding me here…" Itachi refused and his grip on her left arm tightened, but that didn't stop her struggling very much. His tolerance was wearing thin and the kunai dug a shallow trench into Toshiro's cheek. She flinched and tried to pull away as her cheek burned with pain. Sasuke's lightning-fast reflexes were about to launch the kunai at Itachi, but when he heard something land in the trees just meters away from him, he stopped himself abruptly.

Toshiro stopped her struggling and glanced up into the trees; she had heard something also.

Sasuke's Sharingan eyes pierced through the trees to where Izunami was hiding. She was perfectly aware that Sasuke knew where she was but she sent a kunai hurtling through the tree's branches towards her younger sister anyways.

As it went homing in toward Toshiro, Sasuke instinctively loosed his kunai at Izunami's. A metallic ping echoed through the forest as Sasuke's kunai hit Izunami's and they landed on the ground in front of Toshiro. Knowing his position had been given away, Sasuke leapt down from the tree and landed on the ground, in plain sight of everyone and Izunami did the same.

Toshiro's eyes locked onto Sasuke and she hid her relieved expression. _'Thank goodness, he's alright…'_ Her gaze switched onto her sister and she lost all emotion but one. Confusion. _'Sister… she… did she just try to…?'_ Izunami just stared back at her.

Sasuke sent Izunami a frightening glare. "You… you just tried to kill her!!" he accused.

Izunami didn't break her stare with Toshiro and started slowly advancing toward her, completely ignoring Sasuke. He took a running leap and landed in between Toshiro and her sister. As his Sharingan eyes bore into Izunami's darkened green orbs, his anger accidentally unleashed the curse seal and it started spreading over him.

Toshiro's eyes lost focus and as they cleared up she glanced at Sasuke. They widened in fear and concern as she recognized the activated seal. _'…no… not the seal…'_ She struggled again against Itachi and she shouted, "Sasuke!! No!!" and she almost completely forgot about Izunami.

Sasuke didn't seem to hear her call and he kept his gaze fixed on Izunami. Izunami briefly glanced from one Uchiha to the other and jumped over Sasuke toward Toshiro. A small wave of panic went through Sasuke as he saw Izunami speeding towards the ground at Toshiro. Itachi's grip on Toshiro loosened slightly and at just the right moment Sasuke darted in between them, grabbed Toshiro, and pulled her out of the way just in the nick of time.

Before she had a chance to consolidate with Sasuke and try to stop the seal, he darted off after Itachi and Izunami. Toshiro was awed at the uncontrollable rage her blood had sparked in him. She darted after Sasuke and didn't dare let him out of her sight. _'No… he can't activate the seal. I'm going to have to stop it… even if it puts me in harms way.'_

Itachi sent his younger brother a frustrated glare, knowing that his fault was going to cost them later on. Izunami leapt away from Itachi and ran at Toshiro. Sasuke wasn't about to loose Toshiro to Izunami and stood in front of her protectively.

Toshiro stopped behind Sasuke and shouted at him, "Sasuke you can't activate the curse seal!" He didn't seem to hear her. "Sasuke!" She walked around Sasuke and stood in front of him and stopped him from going after Izunami. "Don't let it take you over! Fight against it and take control of it!" Toshiro watched the seal but her words didn't seem to be helping much. She hugged him and whispered, "Sasuke-Kun… onesai… stop this…" She lifted her eyes to look at Sasuke and she kissed him. As the seal slowly receded and Sasuke regained control of himself, Toshiro closed her eyes, even though she was aware that Izunami was closing in on them.

Surprisingly Izunami stopped in her tracks and just watched. She managed to compress her mixed emotions that were boiling over inside of her. She held back the frustration and the little bit of surprise, but the one that really got the best of her was sadness. "It isn't fair…" she whispered almost inaudibly. _'I remember when Itachi and I used to be like that… but that was forever ago when we were younger…'_ A hint of sadness flicked over her eyes for a brief second and then it was gone and she charged after Toshiro with a new vengeance... jealousy.

A/N: Suspenseful, no? And I've got some bad news for you all. Alas, I'm all out of chapters except for one. After 16 you'll all have to wait awhile until I can finish 17. See, the emails (Look in by bio for more information) have slowed down a bit and I've only _just_ started 17! Gomen nasai! But I'll definitely have you all hooked at the end of the next chapter. shivers with excitement And if you have any suggestions or ideas about how to continue or end the story (I'm still debating about that with my cohorts, uh, "Writing buddies". --;;) I would be most appreciative! Just send your ideas to me and, heck, I'll even thank you by Penname in the chapter the idea's in, if you want me to… - Arigato gozimasu by the way to all those who reviewed! But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop asking! Review onesai, review!


	16. An Ambition Fufilled

A/N: If any of you readers out there favor Itachi… don't read this.

Chapter 16

Toshiro narrowly darted out of the way and Sasuke did the same. Toshiro turned around as a confusing thought crossed her mind. _'Did she just get faster? Why…? Did I make her mad or something?'_ Izunami ricocheted off of a tree faster than Toshiro was expecting and came back at her. With her deadly kunai she came back and tore into her younger sister's flesh. Toshiro cried out briefly and gripped her arm tightly as she looked at the bleeding wound. _'…at least it didn't go very deep…'_  
Izunami sent her a triumphant glare. Toshiro looked confused at this expression that was being brandished by her older sister. _'Why is she…?'_  
Itachi looked from Izunami, to Toshiro, and then to Sasuke who glared back at him with a frightening look in his eyes. After a couple moments of aggravating silence the two brothers charged at each other at a breakneck speed.

Toshiro watched in horror as Itachi appeared behind Sasuke, his kunai flashing in the disappearing sunlight. Unfortunately Sasuke wasn't fast enough to move out of the way and the kunai tasted blood.  
With tears welling in her eyes, Toshiro ran over to Sasuke as Itachi moved away and grimaced at the gushing wound on the back of his leg. _'…I've got to do something before he looses enough blood and passes out… and one of the tendons has been cut too… he's not going to be able to move very well now.'_ She glanced at her sister and mentally asked her, _'How could you just let him do this to us? Are you going to come after us to and finish us off like you want to? Onesai, make this stop Izunami…'_

With Toshiro's help Sasuke managed to stand and was sure to keep almost all of his weight on his left foot. He lifted his gaze and glared at Itachi with an undying anger.  
Itachi's eye twitched with irritation as he watched his brother. _'Why hasn't he fallen over yet?'_ He switched his gaze onto Izunami and accused, "You gave me the wrong kunai…"  
Izunami glanced back at the older of the Uchiha. "You didn't honestly think I'd let you off that easily, did you? Poison is too much of an easy road for you… you didn't need it."

Itachi's irritation could be heard in his voice. "But _you_ used it on her."

Toshiro and Sasuke immediately knew what he was referring to. She then realized what had caused the burning sensation when Izunami had torn into her now-bleeding flesh. Toshiro glanced at Sasuke and could have sworn that she saw a fire burning in his red eyes. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her arm and knew it was spreading. _'Uh-oh… this is not good…'_ She glared at Izunami. "So… so you guys are trying to take us out one by one… and are cheating by using poison eh? Pretty smart Izunami… for once… and it's surprising that you actually came out to help get rid of us instead of sending your little henchman here…" _'I hope she gets mad…'_ A smirk appeared at the corner of her mouth. "…you're pathetic…"

Izunami glared back at her younger sister. "Oh _I'm _pathetic?" she scoffed, "You're the one whose life is at stake at the moment."  
Toshiro could almost feel Sasuke's growing rage and shouted, "Well I'm poisoned no thanks to you! You're the one who's pathetic because you're jealous because Sasuke and I have a better relationship then you and Itachi do!" Her smirk became more visible. _'I hope you become enraged and do something drastic… then I'll show you…'_ She smiled to herself and grasped her arm tighter. Toshiro could see her sister becoming more and more irritable by every passing second.

Sasuke looked from Toshiro to Izunami, a little bit confused. _'This is why she hates her younger sister so? She's jealous? You can't be serious…'_

Izunami's frustration reached its peak and she charged at her younger sister. _'How'd she figure it all out? Was it that obvious?'_

Itachi did the same thing only he had his sights on Sasuke. His eyes briefly drifted onto Izunami as he thought, _'Is that why she's been so frustrated lately? She's jealous because of her younger sister whom is nothing but an irritable bug to her? _  
Many thoughts ran through the young Uchiha's mind as they drew closer. _'How the heck am I supposed to defend myself when I can barely move as is?'_

Toshiro's grip on the aging kunai tightened as she watched the two come closer. Her eyesight went hazy for a second or two and she felt a little lightheaded. She shook it off and came up with one idea to by them just a little time. Even though she knew that it would suck up most of the energy she had left, she knew that she had to until they could come up with a better plan. _'I probably won't make it… but Sasuke has a better chance then I do… I have to protect him with my life, even if I lose it…'_  
Itachi landed behind Sasuke and Izunami stopped in front of her sister. She pulled out another kunai after glancing at Toshiro's wounded arm and she started bringing it down through the air, straight at Toshiro.  
In the one to two seconds that this was going on Toshiro was having a mental debate inside her. _'So,'_ her other half mockingly asked her, _'what are you going to do? Put your life on the line and stay where you are so Izunami can't get to Sasuke so soon? Or are you going to save your own skin and just leave him there to die?'_

Toshiro's eyes narrowed in frustration at this new opposing force. _'What do you think? I can't just leave him here! I love him! He'd never leave me, so I'm not going to leave him here!'_

The other voice scoffed at her, _'What honestly makes you think he wouldn't leave? He can easily do better then you… you mean nothing to him! He'd leave in a heartbeat if he could!'_

Toshiro forcefully pushed the voice away. _'It doesn't matter what HE would do… but I'm not about to abandon him to this fate… just try it Izunami.'_ She quickly turned around and picked up Sasuke and jumped out of the way, leaving Itachi and Izunami standing in front of each other. Toshiro set Sasuke down at the base of a tree and stood next to him protectively. Another sharp pain surged through her arm and she grabbed it intensely as she felt herself growing weaker by each and every passing second. She turned back and looked at Itachi and Izunami.  
Izunami turned around to look at her with no change of expression on her face. Itachi was hiding the fact that he was somewhat surprised that she was actually able to lift Sasuke even after she had been poisoned. Izunami briefly glanced at Itachi, an interesting thought obviously passing through her mind. _'…should I? He promised… but he broke it… what to do?'_  
Sasuke could see Toshiro loosing her energy and his anger was suddenly replaced with fear and sadness. "You didn't have to do that… you should have just left me there…"

She shook her head without looking at him. "I couldn't have done that… you're way too important to me, Sasuke…"

Toshiro held her arm tightly and looked at Izunami, pain clear in her green eyes._ 'What is she thinking? They already know that I won't be able to move him this time and that I barely have enough strength to keep me standing.'_ She started to wobble a little bit and kept herself from almost falling over. _'I knew it… I'm loosing strength way too fast… I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up…'_ Another wave of pain coursed through her and she fell to the ground. _'I can't give up… I've got to go on fighting even until the very end… I've got to do it for Sasuke… to buy him enough time to get out of here…'_ She slowly but surely pushed herself to her feet and used the tree Sasuke was sitting next to for balance. Her eyes met his and she tried to smile at him but was unable to.

Sasuke's Sharingans had a fire burning in them that nothing could ever hope of dousing. He pushed himself to his feet and he could feel both his blood and Chakra boiling in his veins. He rocketed himself off of the tree's trunk and sped towards Itachi at what seemed to be the speed of light. The kunai in his hands burrowed into Itachi and Sasuke landed on his feet, fighting off the pain with what strength he had left. Itachi swayed a little and then landed on his knees as he looked at the kunai protruding from his torso.

Toshiro gasped. _'Oh my gosh… he… he did it… he actually accomplished his lifelong ambition…'_ She stared at Itachi and paid no attention to Izunami. As she shifted her gaze to Sasuke she fell to the ground again. Toshiro carefully picked herself up and leaned against a tree for support.

As Sasuke limped over to Toshiro, Izunami rushed over to Itachi as he toppled onto the ground. "Itachi…" she mumbled, "I won't let you die like this… you can't just die on me…"

"…you might have to… I'm sorry Izunami…" he weakly and quietly replied as his eyelids began to droop.

A hint of concern entered Toshiro's eyes as she watched him turn a deathly shade of white. "Which kunai did you use Sasuke?" she muttered to him.

"The same one she did on you," he replied and he suddenly felt a little guilty for what he had done.

Izunami's eyes glossed over and she placed her hand on the side of Itachi's face. A shudder went through her as she heard his breathing shallow and evanesce. "Itachi!" Izunami pulled his lifeless corpse close to her as thick and endless tears streamed down her face. Sasuke and Toshiro were both silent as they glanced at the corpse of the dead Uchiha. Thunder echoed through the silent forest and the rain began to pour as it finally hit them all; Itachi, the killer of the Uchiha clan, was dead.

A/N: Hai, hai, Itachi is dead now. Truthfully I hate Itachi, but I can't help but feel kind of guilty for what I did… well, technically, Sasuke did it, demo, I still feel bad… But there's still Izunami. And what if Toshiro can't fulfill the promise that she made on that kunai that gruesome night under the eerie moon, those four long years ago? What if she runs out of energy and Death gets the younger of the Yumashita (Hai, that is Toshiro and Izunami's last name) sisters instead of the older one and then what would Sasuke do? So may outcomes, but which to choose…? Send me your opinions, won't you please? And _that's_ exactly what the reviews are for!! And my cohorts, you know who you are, don't have to review. But to everyone else, REVIEW!! And please send me any ideas and or comments/opinions you may have. (I'm stuck remember?) Think about it this way; the faster you review, the faster Chapter 17 will be uploaded!!


	17. A Promise Broken

A/N: Okay, I'm sorry about the other chapter. To all of you that have this on an alert list, the resending of this chapter was purely intentional. I've been beating myself up about it for the past 24 hours! Gomen nasai!! This is the new one and I won't screw up on it again!! Enjoy!

Chapter 17

Toshiro was a little unsteady on her feet Sasuke helped to balance her. "You're not giving up are you?" he said and continued to whisper, "You can't quit. You made a promise to Ai and the rest of your family that died that gruesome night. I'll even help you if you want me to."

She flinched and nodded. "I… I know… I have to… keep my promise to them…" Her eyes switched from him to the corpse on the ground as Toshiro walked by Sasuke slowly and moved toward Izunami. Her grip on the aging kunai tightened and she kept advancing towards her sister.

Sasuke was awed at the sight of her extreme and hidden determination. Izunami didn't even look at Toshiro as she approached. Izunami gently set Itachi back down on the ground and rose to her feet; her dark locks of hair hiding her dark green orbs.

Toshiro stopped directly in front of her sister and just stood there, trying to pull her wits about her. Izunami slowly lifted her gaze and her eyes locked with Toshiro's and she shuddered nervously as Izunami gently pushed her younger sister out of the way. Toshiro's eyes narrowed in confusion at this surprising gesture. After a second or so Izunami's eyes switched onto Sasuke and she glared at him. A moment later she darted towards him and his being in danger gave Toshiro a sudden boost of energy and she ran after Izunami.

'_You DARE to lay a finger on him, and you'll have me to recon with…'_ Her speed picked up significantly in an attempt to get to Sasuke before her sister did.

Sasuke managed to move out of the way of Toshiro's approaching and infuriated sister. Izunami wheeled around and charged at him again while shouting, "I have nothing to live for anymore… you've killed him! You've killed the only person who ever cared about me! No one else ever did!" Tears were now torrents pouring down her face. "Not even my own family cared!"

Toshiro burst out in anger and surprise, "What?! No one cared about you?! How the heck could you say-"

"What do you mean, no one cared for you?" Sasuke asked coolly, "What do you mean that no one cared that you were even there? Years ago before all of this started every single time I saw Toshiro she always said something about you! She looked up to you, like I did my brother! Ai felt the same way!"

Toshiro nodded. "That's entirely the truth! And I _still_ care about you!" She stopped running to take a breath and continued, "Mother loved you, Father loved you, and Ai did more than any of us and just look at what you did to her! You slaughtered her mercilessly, as innocent as she was, and she cared about you deeply!" Toshiro's eyes glossed over and soon she was crying too. "As much as you disbelieve me, listen anyways. Everyone cared for you! You were a rare prodigy with the talent of cheering up anyone. You used to always have a smile on your face, all the time. Everyone loved you for that, but look what you did! They didn't expect anything from you because you were the kindest one in the village! But you killed them all!"

Izunami stopped in her tracks and looked back at her sister with disbelief clear in her eyes. "And just how would you know? You were too young to understand back then… don't act like you know what I've been through these past four years and even before then! Our parents paid no attention at all to me! They never asked how I was feeling that day, thinking that I wouldn't care."

Toshiro shook her head and interrupted, "Iie, that's not true-"

"-they never asked how I was feeling… and, that's how I met Itachi." Izunami paused, but then decided to tell her younger sister what had happened when she was younger. "We had so much more in common then he was letting on. Even when we were children he would cover up what he was truly like, even around his parents and only younger brother." Izunami glanced at Sasuke who was listening intently to her every word. "Itachi was so secretive even with his own family, just like I was. After I finally earned his trust he let his guard down around me. I couldn't believe how emotionless he was…"

Toshiro could tell that this was painful topic for her sister. She glanced at Sasuke and thought back to when she had seen him for the first time in years. _'That's how Sasuke used to be… but Sasuke didn't try to hide his secluded self…' _

Izunami continued, "And then one day, his hidden self that only I knew existed, smiled at me, for the first time ever. He realized that I could be trusted and that I wouldn't repeat a word of it to anyone. And I still honor that, even now." She sighed at she looked back at his body and her gaze fell back to the ground. "And soon after, I… I fell in love with him, as unintentional as it was… he had been completely oblivious to how I had felt until I told him." Izunami smirked as she remembered the happy memory. "I told him and stared at the ground with a bright red blush on my face. He was quiet for a while, and I immediately wished that I had kept it to myself. But then… but then… I remember feeling his arms around me, and in my ear he whispered, 'Ashiteru'…" She looked like she was about to cry.

Toshiro was still holding her arm and Sasuke was expressionless. "Izunami… you never told me before…" She let the kunai fall out of her fingers and hit the ground.

"Iie, I never did tell you… I… I feel so horrible for what I did… I took innocent lives, just so I could stay with him! I-I should've just convinced him not to take his rage out on his family… but no, I was young… and stupid." She fingered the deadly kunai in her hands nervously. "I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't want to lose him, so I ruined my life and left with him. Ai… I attacked her and left her to die in your arms Toshiro… and… and Itachi stood in the back of the room while our parent's blood spilled all over the floor… while _I_ spilled their blood all over the floor… I caused all of it…" Her eyes were lined with thick tears.

"Izunami… I'm so sorry…" Toshiro took off her pouch of kunai and dropped it on the ground. "I'm not going to fight you! I can't! You're my only sister, and I still care about you!" She looked at the ground. "I still do… even after everything you put me through…"

Izunami smirked at Toshiro but it soon faded and she gasped ever so softly. When she looked down at her hands and mumbled, "Chikushou…" as she realized that the kunai in her hands had accidentally cut through her skin. The crimson substance oozed out of her palm and through her fingers.

"Iie!" Toshiro shouted as she ran to her sister and looked at her hand. "You've cut into a vein! We have to get you back to the village before-"

"Toshiro…"

"But sister-"

"Calm down. This isn't going to kill me. I might fall unconscious for a while, like you're about to. Then if you don't get to the hospital it'll kill you… I'm sorry…"

Toshiro shook her head and muttered, "It's okay. But wait… does that mean that Itachi is just unconscious?"

Toshiro could hear the sadness in her sister's voice as she replied. "He was… I doubt he still is now." Izunami glanced at Sasuke and saw what was in his eyes. "You've done enough. You don't need to do anything else."

Toshiro looked at Sasuke as he suddenly changed his mind at her expression and he slowly limped over to her. "I guess we should get you back to Konoha while we still can."

Toshiro nodded. "…okay…will you come with us, Izunami?"

"Hai. But after you're alright, I want to come back here to… you know…" She glanced at Itachi's corpse on the ground with a sad look in her eye.

Toshiro managed to walk a little ways towards the village but before she'd gone too far out of the clearing Izunami shouted in a panicked voice to stop. "Iie don't go any further or… Toshiro get out of the way!"

She had accidentally tripped a string concealed in between two bushes. Toshiro looked up and saw a kunai and two shuriken hurtling towards her. She didn't have enough energy to dart out of the way since they were so close and she braced herself for the hit.

It never came.

Toshiro opened her eyes to find out what had stopped the deadly weapons of metal and she was shocked to find Izunami standing in front of her trembling with pain. Toshiro's eyes widened and she hugged her sister to keep her from falling over. "You shouldn't have done that Izunami! You would've survived!" Tears were welling in her eyes and she grimaced as she looked at the wound.

The kunai was a little below her neck and the shuriken were in almost the same spot. There was a lot of blood flowing freely from the wound and the poison was spreading faster through her then Toshiro had hoped it would.

"…I'm sorry about what I did to you before…"

Toshiro shushed her sister. "Iie, don't apologize to me now-"

She shook her head and muttered, "Iie, I won't have another chance to Toshiro. You're stronger than I am, you'll be fine." She double over as the pain worsened but she didn't regret saving the only family she had left. "You need to leave me here and get to the village before it's too late to save yourself."

Izunami fell to the ground and Toshiro shook her head as she got on her knees next to her sister. Her breaths were short and painful to her, or so Toshiro could tell. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sasuke help Toshiro to her to her feet, but her eyes never left her dying sister.

"…I'm sorry, Toshiro… I never should've let my anger get the best of me…" Izunami glanced back at her younger sister and Toshiro was surprised to find that Izunami's eyes had lightened back to their normal shade of green; all her anger and hatred towards her sister was gone. She felt her life fading fast so she briefly smiled at Toshiro and said, "…arigato Toshiro…" The smile ran away from her face and she let herself go. She landed on the ground silently and Toshiro knew her sister was gone. The rain poured down on Toshiro and Sasuke harder than it had ever before and thunder roared through the empty forest, trumpeting that Izunami had finally given up her fight against death.

Toshiro's tears were as thick if not thicker then the rain itself and she whispered, "…I'm sorry too sister…" Her eyes started to droop as the poison regained its grip on her and she fell back into Sasuke's arms.

Fear struck into his eyes and he refused what was coming on swift winds. "You're not leaving me too... we'll make it back to the village... I promise you-" He fell silent and looked away as his eyes glossed over even though he was fighting it off to the mightiest of his ability.

Tears were pouring down Toshiro's face but she was still smiling weakly at him. "…you try too hard, but arigato, Sasuke-kun…" She put her hand on the side of his face but she couldn't hold it there for long and it fell back own to her side.

Sasuke had two long lines coming down his face and he was trembling with the fear of loss. "But you can't-" He searched desperately for the words before Toshiro lost consciousness. "Onesai, don't leave me alone here… no one here understands me the way you do… I'd never be happy again if you left…" He hugged her tightly. "…onesai, I love you too much…"

The thunder rumbled through the trees and lightning streaked across the dark sky as Sasuke's tears fell down his face and he hugged his dearly beloved Toshiro in his arms.

A/N: Was it better than the last one? And again, I'm really sorry for the really bad chapter. After I published it my friends read it and pointed out a flaw. No one dies _that_ fast, even with poison running through their blood. Then my dad said that being cut on the hand doesn't work becuase the blood flushes the poison out. He said the poisoned weapon would have to be imbedded into the skin. I again apologize for my mistake. But this one was better right? And I think I said this before, but just an update; the ending had been worked out! It's kind of been hinted in this chapter, and... let's just say that my 'cohorts' and I were a just a _little_ freaked out by one of the ideas we came up with. And, this might be the last chapter before the new year (I hope not), so... Merry Christmas!! And a Happy New Year!! :) (It's suposed to be Santa!!)


	18. An Encounter with Death

Chapter 18

Through his thick veil of tears Sasuke knew that he still had a chance of getting Toshiro back to Konoha before it was too late. He picked her up off of the ground and started running as fast as humanly possible. _'She'd better not die… she'd better not die… I wouldn't have any reason to keep living… but it's not like my life is the one that matters at the moment…'_

Toshiro's breathing was slow and light but he could tell that it was difficult to take in air. She was shivering uncontrollably even though her forehead was scorching hot. His eyes found her cut and bleeding arm and he all of a sudden put on a burst of speed. The tables were turned in his favor and he rushed right through the open village gates.

The hospital wasn't full but it wasn't empty either. Sasuke had to do his best not to run into any one that was standing in the waiting rooms but he didn't stop running until he reached the heart of the hospital. There was a bit of confusion as the nurses tried to figure out why a teen was standing in the middle of the medical ward with blood running down the back of his leg and a teen girl in his arms. A couple doctors rushed up to him and took Toshiro out of Sasuke's arms and moved her into a completely different room. He tried to follow her but one of the doctors fell behind the group and held him back.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go on there. They're busy trying to stabilize her-"

Sasuke's patience was wearing thin and he was still breathing hard because of how hard and fast he was running but his voice rose to a shout anyways. "How the heck are you going to help her if you don't know what's wrong with her!? You don't even have a diagnosis yet!" Everyone in the closest waiting room was staring wide-eyed at him.

Sasuke finally brought his voice back to its normal volume and the doctor was a bit relieved. He eventually got the teen to brief him on exactly what had happened and he then rushed after the other doctors to convey the information.

Sasuke sat down in a chair and he was still trembling with fear of what might happen to Toshiro. He thought back to when it had been him who had been rushed in the building and whisked away to be taken care of. He held back a smirk as he remembered hearing Toshiro yelling at the nurses about what had happened, exactly like he had just moments ago.

Sasuke glanced up and realized that there was a young boy across the room that was staring back at him with wide-eyes. His eyes had found the blood on the teen's shirt, which belonged to Toshiro, and also the blood that was slowly running down the back of his leg as a surprising sight. Sasuke glared at the kid until he looked away and then he looked at a nurse who was walking towards him. "I need you come with me."

He had all intentions of saying no but he stood anyway and followed her out of the waiting room. "What's this about?"

They ended up in a vacant room and she started rummaging through the cupboards until she finally found a small medical kit. "Unless you've already forgotten, the back of your leg is bleeding quite badly. Now go sit in that chair over there."

He reluctantly obeyed her and he sat as she pulled out a gauze and a clean white wrap from the kit. The nurse moved over to him and got on her knees as she carefully inspected the wound. "Stabbed with a kunai, right?" Sasuke nodded and she continued, "And you said that you ran here? I don't see how you could've done it. The kunai went in pretty deep and I can tell that it hurts, so how could you have run through a forest and through the entire village to get here without being slowed by pain?" She cleaned the wound and he winced a little as she did so.

"My mind wasn't on pain when I was running or about how much blood I was going to loose, but the fact that I had to get here before it was too late to save her."

The nurse looked up and she could easily see worry and concern in his eyes. She started wrapping his leg with the cloth and she said, "You did all that you could and you can't blame yourself for whatever happens next. You did your best, and that's all that matters."

"But what if I didn't get her here in time and she…doesn't make it…" His eyes were on the ground, lost in deep thought.

She rose to her fullest height and motioned for him to follow her out the open door. "Then blame fate. It wouldn't be your fault."

She knew he didn't believe her but he slowly got on his feet and glanced at the bandages wrapped around his leg. He followed her out the door and she walked up to one of the other nurses and they spoke for a minute or so. The other nurse nodded at the end of their conversation and looked at Sasuke before going back to what she was doing before.

The first nurse smiled at him and told him that he could now see Toshiro so she showed him to her room. To his surprise, it was the exact same one that he had lied in for a straight month with a broken rib.

Toshiro was lying in the bed and almost looked like she was sleeping except for the occasional flinch that made her appear to be having a nightmare. It pained Sasuke to see her like that and he walked in and took a seat in the chair closest to her. He took her hand into his and gently squeezed it and sighed at the feeling of her trembling.

"I told you we'd make it. I just wish I could've gotten you here sooner." The sad look reappeared in his eyes and his eyes rested on the heart monitor. _'I'd never forgive myself if I ever let anything happen to you… I couldn't bear to live without you…'_ He shuddered at the thought of loosing Toshiro to the cold and clammy hands of death. Sasuke tightened his grip on her hand and just held it there, hoping against fate that things would work out for the better.

It had barely been a minute or so since Sasuke had walked into the room when the door opened behind him. He could already tell it was Sakura and he didn't bother to look at her. She sat down in the chair directly next to him and kept quiet for a while.

The silence eventually got to her and she decided to break it. "So, she said quietly, "is she going to be okay?"

Sasuke was still avoiding her gaze when he answered. "…they're not sure yet…" _'But it sure hope so…'_

Sakura was trying his patience but he was careful not to show it. "What're you going to do if she doesn't make it, Sasuke-kun?"

His anger flared and he turned around with an emotionless expression on him face and she knew she'd crossed the line. "What are you suggesting?"

She shrugged and replied, "That you'd have to move on, I guess-"

"Well guess again! I wouldn't be able to move on! I'm not walking out of here unless she walks out with me or if I have to carry her out in a casket!"

Sakura was in shock that he'd actually raised his voice at her and her eyes flicked over to the heart monitor. "Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, demo, you _might_ have to carry her out in a casket."

Sasuke turned back around to see what she was talking about and watched in painful anxiety as the moving line squished down in to a perfectly flat one. "…iie…"

"Gomen nasai…"

Sasuke ignored her and his grip on Toshiro's pale hand tightened. His dark onyx eyes glossed over and he soon had two lines coming down his face. He buried his head into his arms that were on the bed in silent mourning and Sakura fell quiet.

'…_where am I?'_ Toshiro slowly got off of the ground and looked around. _'It's so dark. I can't see a thing.'_ She blindly reached out to her left and found a sturdy wall. She went to her right and found another wall. _'I'm stuck in a tunnel? In the middle of Konoha?'_ Toshiro stumbled blindly through the dark tunnel with her arms out in front of her feeling for anything that she might run into.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking to Toshiro, she stopped and leaned up against one of the walls. _'This thing never ends. If only there was something…like a light…something to show me out of here.'_ She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her head into her arms. _'I wish I knew where Sasuke was...'_ she thought and she sighed quietly.

Time didn't matter to Toshiro at that moment, but she thought maybe an hour had gone by. She looked up and squinted into an approaching light and covered her eyes with a hand.

The light dimmed just enough so she could see in front of her and her eyes widened in shock. In front of the dim light a young girl stood with flowing black hair and eyes as green as emeralds. "Toshiro?" A wide smile spread itself across the girl's face. "Is it really you?"

Toshiro shook her head and closed her eyes in pure disbelief. _'I've got to be hallucinating…there's no other explanation…'_ He opened her eyes again and Ai was still standing there. "It's…it's really you…I…" She fell silent and without realizing it she found herself walking towards her younger sister. A tear or two slipped down her face.

A saddened look came into Ai's eyes. "Stop." She looked at the ground and a tear fell from her face also. "You must not go this way."

Toshiro slowed to a stop with a confused expression on her face. "But…why? Why can't I see you?"

"I'm sorry," she said again, "But you can't come any closer. You have to go back to Sasuke, not stay with me."

"But I…well I…" Toshiro fell silent as she thought about what to do and she sighed.

Ai could see her sister struggling about what to do and she glanced behind Toshiro. "Look sister, turn around." Toshiro looked back over her shoulder and was shocked to see Sasuke standing a few feet away with his back turned. She could tell it wasn't really him, but the sight of him standing there with a puddle at his feet and the sound of a quiet sniffling went straight to her heart. "Don't you see?" Ai continued, "He's devastated. He needs you, he needs you more than anything else in the world." A smile spread across her face.

Toshiro looked back up as another voice said, "He loves you very much, can't you see that? To him life would be barely worth living without you."

Toshiro's tears thickened as she saw her only older sister standing behind her youngest. "Izunami…" Her eyes switched to two figures coming to stand beside Izunami, and behind them several other dark figures appeared behind them. Toshiro was almost overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of her parents and her knees started to shake. "You…you're right. I will go back to him. I will!" Toshiro could see that her parents approved of her decision as she looked into the eyes that she hadn't looked into for the past four years.

Ai looked from Izunami to Toshiro and nodded. "Go on, get out of here. And we'll all hope to see the both of you in the very distant future." She waved at her departing older sister and smiled. "Goodbye…Toshiro."

Toshiro waved back at her family that was slowly fading into the darkness and she took off into a run in the opposite direction. Sasuke was the only thing on her mind and her pace increased. She accidentally slipped and fell on her back a few minutes later, but to her surprise it wasn't hard ground that she had landed on, but it was soft, like a hospital bed.

When she opened her eyes she was in the bright hospital room surrounded by doctors that were trying to revive her. They hadn't noticed that she had opened her eyes yet but upon remembering about Sasuke she bolted upright and called his name.

He slowly turned around in disbelief believing that he had imagined her calling out to him, but when he saw Toshiro sitting up and smiling at him, he ran over to her and embraced her. He had been bawling over her passing and he didn't let go of Toshiro, nonetheless loosen his grip. "I could've sworn you were dead."

One of the nurses had fell to the floor in shock and fright at the sight of Toshiro rising up after being dead for a couple minutes and shakily rose to her feet.

Sakura was still in the room and she was staring at the two of them and one of her eyes was twitching with frustration. _'You've got to be kidding me…she can't have woken up! She died! She was lying there cold and stiff and now she's lying there in Sasuke's arms! How much worse could this get?!'_

Toshiro looked up over Sasuke's shoulder and glared at Sakura. "I swear, you're like a vulture!" Sakura's jaw dropped in shock at such a choice of words. "I'm out for maybe an hour or two and you're already trying to win him over! I can't believe you!"

"What do you mean, out? You were-" She cut herself of knowing that she couldn't win against Toshiro and she rose and left the room.

"The nerve of some people…" Toshiro muttered to herself. She let go of Sasuke and looked up at him and smiled at his tears. "Oh, you are so sweet to cry over me like this." She reached up and wiped away one of his tears with her thumb.

The doctors were staring wide eyed at the two teens and they looked at each other. One by one they left the room and it soon was empty.

"You haven't the slightest clue at how distraught I was when your heart stopped. And Sakura wasn't helping anything either." A hint of annoyance flicked over his eyes and they narrowed.

Toshiro rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. "Well, I'll just have to chase her off and stay alive as long as you are then, won't I? She'll not lay a finger on you as long as I'm still around."

Sasuke smirked, but as quickly as it'd come, it was gone again. "How is it that you're still alive? I was so sure that you were…well, you know…"

Toshiro thought about it for a second or so and didn't see any harm in telling him what she'd seen. She opened her mouth to explain everything but a nurse walked in and Toshiro muttered, "I'll tell you later, ii yo?"

A few slow hours later Toshiro was finally discharged from the hospital. It was quite dark outside and the sun's last rays were leaving, giving the moon its time to shine in the sky.

Toshiro leaned up against Sasuke once out of the hospital and she sighed. "Wow…the moon is so big." She walked away from the hospital doors a little ways and smiled. "To think…had you not been there with me, I wouldn't be looking at this right now. Arigato, for saving me again."

Sasuke smirked to himself and shook his head. "I had to." He looked back at her and decided to escort her home so he could find out exactly what had happened in the hospital. "So, what exactly did happen?"

Toshiro took his hand in hers and looked up at the sky. "I'm not really sure what happened. But I do know this." A silly smile spread itself across her face and she turned to face him and grabbed his shoulders. "Sasuke! I saw a light! I swear I did!" Sasuke stared at her with wide eyes and Toshiro let go of him and started walking again. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"Yeah, I'm sure you couldn't," he said sarcastically. "And you have an interesting way of describing things you know."

"No, not really," she replied, "It was quite different from that actually. I was in…well, a tunnel would be a good way to describe it." Her eyes became downcast as Ai and the rest of them came to mind.

Sasuke immediately noticed her saddened look and he asked again. "What happened? What did you see?"

Toshiro was quiet for a while and she eventually continued. "A bright light blinded me for a second or so, but then out of the light I saw a young person standing there. She called me by name, and it was then that I realized that it indeed was Ai."

Toshiro smirked a little bit and then carried on, "I started walking toward her but then she told me to stop and said that I couldn't be with her. Then she reminded me about you. She told me to turn around and when I did on the other side of the tunnel I saw you mourning over me, with a puddle by your feet." Sasuke looked away from her with a little bit of embarrassment clear on his face.

"Ai kept telling me over and over that you needed me more than they did, and then I saw my parents, and Izunami. And if I'm not mistaken, there were a few other figures standing behind them that might've been some other the deceased Uchiha." Sasuke looked back at Toshiro with a hint of surprise on his face but Toshiro didn't notice and she kept on talking. "They were all telling me the same thing Ai was, so we all briefly said our goodbyes and that's when I woke up in the hospital room, and you know the rest." Toshiro glanced up at Sasuke when she was finished and she could easily see that Sasuke wanted to ask her something that was bothering him a great deal.

"Did you by any chance…see Itachi?"

Toshiro was taken back by his question and after a while she answered, "Uh…no, I don't believe so." They both looked away from each other and were deeply lost in thought. After a couple minutes of only the sound of their feet on the ground below them she had to break the silence. "Well, even though I didn't see him, it doesn't mean anything. It's not like he's…still around."

Their eyes meet after the longest time and Sasuke answered, "I guess you're right."

A little while later they reached Toshiro's house but she knew she had nothing to fear. "Well, thanks for walking me home. I'll see you-"

Sasuke cut her off suddenly by hugging her before she could finish and Toshiro fell silent as he said, "I'm so glad you're still with me."

Toshiro hugged him back and replied, "Yeah, me too."

They stood there for the longest time, but it didn't matter to either of them, because they both enjoyed every minute of it.

They eventually released each other, as much as Sasuke didn't want to, and Toshiro looked back at her dark house. "Don't worry, I'll see you tomorrow, ii yo? Itachi's dead, I'm sure of it. You got him in the torso. He couldn't have survived."

Sasuke was about to protest against that idea, but he decided against it. "If you think so. I'll see you tomorrow then. Oyasuminasai, Toshiro."

Toshiro smiled at him and waved as she opened the front door to the house and stepped inside. _'Wow, it's really dark in here at night. Now where's that light-switch?'_ Toshiro ran her hand across one of the walls but she was unable to find one. She opened the curtains at one of the windows and moonlight poured in and showed her where the switch was. Just as she was about to flip it on a hand reached out of the shadows and grabbed her own. Toshiro found herself pinned against the wall by someone in a dark cloak and his eyes were but an inch in front of her face. "…how…?" Toshiro tried to swallow her fear but was unable to. "…but, you're supposed to be-"

"-dead?"

A/N: Okay, now this even sent shivers down _my_ spine. And the next chapter is even worse. And you might just ask "How can it get worse?" Oh my readers, it _can_. May I advise all of you with queasy stomachs to **_NOT_** read chapter 19. My cohorts and I were all holding our own when the idea was first put forth, and we all have strong stomachs. I still shiver at the contents of the next chapter. Oh yes, you will all sympathize our dear Toshiro at the end of the most gruesome of the chapters. I warn you now. You can't say that I didn't warn you. You can't blame me if any of you get sick. I have insurance! Actually no I don't, so please don't blame me if your minds are full of gruesome thoughts and you start pulling out hair or biting your fingers off to the bone in sheer and antagonizing anxiety and fear. - On a happier note, well, this isn't very happy to me, but the story is almost over. Yes, aren't we_ all_ just _shattered_? But to those who can't get enough of this story, I'm thinking of creating a prequel or sequel of this story. But that's only if I can find the time, with school and all. So, because old habits die hard, please review!! They keep me going. I treasure each and every one of these golden reviews!! -


	19. The Price of Revenge

A/N: Just a simple warning; to any of you readers that just might have queasy stomachs, I'm sorry to advise that perhaps you shouldn't be reading this. To everyone else, enjoy! And brace yourself…

Chapter 19

Itachi's cold voice struck fear into her heart and a shiver went down her spine but she summoned the courage to ask, "What is your purpose here? What do you want with me?"

Itachi's red eyes bore into hers and in a frightening tone he said, "You already know why I'm here." He smirked at her trembling and he slowly pulled out a kunai and brandished it in front of her face in the pale moonlight.

She eyed his weapon of choice closely and muttered, "The scar you left on my cheek is one scar too many. I don't need any more from you." For a second or so Toshiro completely forgot about the kunai as she flashed back to that morning and looked him over. She could easily define a thick bandage wrapped around his torso that was hiding under his shirt but she still couldn't figure out how he had survived being poisoned. "How is it that you're still alive? We left you unconscious in the middle of that clearing. No, not even, you were dead _before_ we left."

Itachi followed her eyes with his and pulled his cloak over the slight bulge under his shirt and he scoffed at her. "The two of you were too foolish to check. I did take a kunai to the torso, but just before I fell unconscious, I got away with injected myself with an antidote I had prepared just before. If only I'd known that you were going to best your sister and poison her, I would've given it to her. That way at least Izunami would still be alive." Itachi's eyes narrowed as they switched from the kunai in his hand to Toshiro. "It wasn't fair what happened to Izunami, and my brother has absolutely no knowledge of what it feels like to loose the only thing one cares the most about. I'm sure after today's events, it's about time he found out, don't you?" An evil smirk crossed his face and he ran a finger down to the tip of the kunai. "And I'm certain you'll be the one to help me."

Toshiro's eyes widened and she desperately attempted to pull away from the kunai in his hand. She managed it for a split second, but she winced as Itachi tightly grabbed her bandaged right arm and yanked her back. She gasped for a second and cringed as pain shot up her back from her impact with the ground. "Don't go and do something you'll regret." Itachi hovered over her and pinned her there with a hungry look for blood in his eyes.

"Y-You don't have to do this, Itachi," she stuttered as she glanced down at her arm. Itachi had accidentally ripped off the bandage and reopened the wound Izunami had given her earlier that day. "There's no point to it. I haven't done anything. I didn't do anything to Izunami." Toshiro was trying to buy herself as much time as she could to think of something but nothing was coming to mind. "How would you even know what happened? You were out cold when she died. The only other person besides Izunami and I that actually knows what happened is Sasuke. There was no one else there at the time."

"I've seen this one too many times before. It's a plea for mercy, a plea for me to spare you. But of all people, why should you deserve to live after what you've done to her? After the loss you caused me?" Itachi's fury was mounting and his rage was so dominant over any other emotion that Toshiro thought that she could almost feel it emitting from him.

"You're so incompetent! I didn't do anything to her, I swear! That trap you set before we fought, do you remember it? I accidentally set it off and Izunami jumped in front of the shuriken and kunai! She let herself go so she could save me! I don't ever remember seeing you with even a shred of dignity in your whole body! Izunami was completely the opposite of you! You corrupted her! Don't you even try to deny it!"

Itachi's patience was wearing thin and Toshiro could easily tell. "You don't know what happened. You were too young to even have the slightest recollection of how we acted back then. Izunami didn't explain it in full."

Toshiro was scared out of her wits on the inside but she didn't show it on the outside. "What is there to explain? You opened up to her and she might've not spilled your secrets, but she felt such a pity for you that she didn't leave your side. It was pity, Itachi, she pitied you."

He had a blank expression on his face as he heard her say this, but in the back of his mind, it all made sense. Toshiro smirked at Itachi and at that he narrowed his eyes. "That isn't true," he protested.

"Oh, but it is." Her smirk became more visible and she quoted, "Think what you will, and disbelieve the truth."

In an act of anger he wrapped his cold fingers from one of his hands loosely around her throat and he glared at her. In a low voice he said softly, "This is vengeance for what you did to Izunami, and for the pain you put me through."

He neared his face to Toshiro's and she glared at him. She remembered him doing the exact same thing earlier that morning and she kept a straight face with the knowledge that he was just trying to scare her. "And another thing," he said quietly, "Be sure to give this to your sister when you see her."

Toshiro's narrowed eyes watched him slowly inch closer and closer to her. She glowered at him as she said, "Stop it right there. You really need to learn to keep your distance. Come any closer and-"

Itachi cut her off suddenly and he kissed her. Toshiro's eyes went wide and almost instantly tears started falling unceasingly from them. _'…oh my God…his…his tongue…'_

He slowly pulled away with an evil smirk on his face and Toshiro reopened her eyes and looked at him with blurred vision. A burst of hatred and fury swept through her and she managed to free one of her hands. Toshiro pulled it back and when she set it loose it made a perfect impact with the side of his face. Itachi didn't recoil in the slightest and Toshiro said in an undertone, "You're disgusting… despicable… a bastard…" Her glossy eyes flicked over to the door and she was mentally praying for anything to stop the killing that was about to take place.

He smirked at her fear and grabbed her free hand. "It isn't really intended for you anyway." Itachi adjusted his grip on her throat and Toshiro tried to pull away but it was all in vain.

"Sasuke is going to have your hide when he finds out what you've done," she said threateningly as she turned her eyes back to look into his.

"By the time he finds out, it will be far too late, and I will be long gone from here."

Fear, thick and heavy, slid down her throat and dropped into her stomach like a stone. Toshiro gasped as Itachi suddenly constricted his grip. She freed her hand again and she latched onto his wrist in an attempt to pull it away. She tried prying at his fingers but he was much stronger than she was and she failed miserably. Toshiro looked up into the mass-murderer's eyes and she could easily see that he was taking his time with her death. He _wanted_ her to suffer through the entire thing, and he was enjoying every second of it.

"Sa…Sasuke…" she tried to call out under her strained breath. Tears of fear slipped down her face and Itachi didn't seem to care. She struggled more and gasped for every breath she could and she felt herself slipping into the dark as she grew more and more lightheaded.

'_So…so this is it,'_ she thought as her tears thickened and as her eyesight went a bit hazy. _'I'm going to die here…under my own roof…with the last person that I ever wanted to see…'_ Things were getting darker and darker by the second and Toshiro had just about given up any and all hope of survival.

Itachi had a look of confidence on his face and Toshiro dreaded it. She looked into her killer's eyes one last time and she let her hand fall back to her side, she had given up.

Just then the door slammed open and a voice shouted, "Get off of her!" Something large and black went whirring over her head and it showered her with blood before imbedding itself into the wall behind her. Itachi's head toppled off his neck and bounced off her stomach and then landed on the ground and rolled to the wall.

Gravity was against Toshiro on that frightful night and it brought the rest of Itachi crashing down on top of her. Sasuke rushed over to her and yanked his brother's decapitated corpse off of her.

Toshiro bolted upright and gasped for air and Sasuke didn't touch her until she had completely regained her breath. She turned her head to look at him and she threw herself into his arms. She was too terrified to speak and she listened as Sasuke did. "I'm so sorry Toshiro. If only I'd gotten here sooner I could've prevented him from…" He suddenly got quiet and he hugged her tighter, not really caring that she was drenched with his older brother's blood.

Toshiro didn't let go of him and she unceasingly started sobbing into his shoulder. She had just been through another terrible ordeal and she couldn't say a single word, even with Sasuke holding her in his arms. "Thank you…" she whispered faintly. Sasuke didn't respond and she let go of him.

Toshiro put a hand out behind her to push herself up and she thought she felt something move. She turned her head to look over her shoulder and she scrambled back frantically. "You mean I wasn't imagining things? You…you actually…?" The words were too hard for Toshiro to say and she fell quiet as she buried her head into Sasuke's chest.

Sasuke gazed at the corpse of his dead brother's body and shivered at the act he had just committed. He couldn't help but feel horrible. He had killed his own brother; he had _decapitated_ his own brother. He pulled Toshiro as close to him as possible and he turned her head away from the bloodied and twitching corpse.

A/N: Eh, so? Was there enough gore for some of you? Well, if not, there are some more details in the next chapter. Oh, man, my stomach hurts. It refuses to stop flipping. I hope you readers aren't _too_ grossed out by Itachi's uncalled for action. He deserves what was coming to him, or so I think. So, who passed out or bit your fingers down to the bone? Come on now, I know there's at least one of you. Anywho... so how was it? Tell me through reviews, okay? And there's a bit more about what happened to Itachi in the upcoming chapter. I'm expecting two more, got it? - Hope to see you soon!!


	20. A Painful Explination

Chapter 20

"Are you alright?"

She didn't respond and a fresh wave of tears poured down her face. He did what he could to ease her trembling but nothing his did was helping. Sasuke's eyes fell to the ground and in a quiet voice he said, "I'm so sorry Toshiro. If only I could've gotten here sooner… he wouldn't have gotten so far if I had been here. If I hadn't left you here by yourself, then…" He trailed off again and she could easily see how bad he felt.

Toshiro slowly shifted her position a little and gazed into his sorrow-filled eyes and in an almost inaudible voice she whispered, "… I don't blame you… but, I forgive you. It's not your fault like you say it is. Please don't blame yourself for my mistake. I should've been more attentive to my surroundings… but…" She grabbed his hand and wiped her tears away with her other hand as she continued, "…but… I'm eternally grateful. You've saved me once again… and frankly I don't know what I'd do without you."

She lifted a shaking hand to move a strand of hair out of her face when she froze and stared at her hand. There was blood caked on it. She reached up and felt her face and found that it too was covered in blood. Toshiro jumped to her feet in a panic and Sasuke stood next to her.

"It's not yours," he said quietly and he glanced at the body behind her.

Toshiro stopped moving at once and she summoned the courage to look behind her. Indeed, the head was severed and had rolled over to the wall and the body lay still, all except for the occasional twitch. A massive amount of blood was still gushing out of the cut arteries in what was left of the neck and Toshiro was covered head to toe in the syrupy substance.

"How did you know to come back here? What happened before you got here?"

Sasuke tried to push the subject back on her and he said, "I should be asking you the same question."

Toshiro wasn't ready to tell him what had occurred before he had barged in and she replied, "I asked you first."

Sasuke looked at her and regretted doubting what he'd thought about before he'd rushed back. "Just after I left I couldn't help but have the dreaded feeling that Itachi was still alive. Then it all made sense to me. He would come back and kill you to avenge Izunami's death."

Toshiro shivered at the thought of what would've happened had Sasuke not shown up and she turned away from the scene behind her. In an attempt to calm down she took a deep breath and ended up coughing. "Ugh… that smell… that horrible putrid smell…" She strode out the open door into the cold of the night and stood in the pale light of the moon. She exhaled and watched her breath form in front of her and just as soon as it had appeared, it dissipated into the chilly air. Toshiro heard Sasuke slowly walk up behind her and he wrapped his arms around her as an effort to calm her down a bit.

"I thought I could just put it all behind me… but that house is covered in blood once again like it was four years ago. I never thought I'd have to relive it." She cast her eyes upon the ground and she put her hand on her throat. "And… and I was almost killed, by… by him…" She shuddered with uneasiness again as the horrifying experience flashed through her mind.

Sasuke stood on front of her and he gently pushed her chin upwards to meet his black-eyed stare. "Please, stop thinking about this…" He took her face into his hands and he was about to kiss Toshiro when what Itachi had done crossed her mind. She regrettably turned her head and refused it and on the inside Sasuke was flabbergasted.

Toshiro hugged him tightly again and mumbled, "I'm sorry." _'I'm so sorry… but I can't let you… not now at least. My mouth has been tainted by your older brother.'_

He sighed and placed his hand on top of her head and said, "It pains me to see you like this."

Toshiro was quick to apologize and with one last look at the house and another whiff of the rancid smell emitting from it she turned her back on it and walked out to the street. "I don't think I'll ever have the strength to return here again."

Sasuke gave the house one last look and quickly looked away, almost dreading what he had left inside. As he looked at Toshiro's blood-covered but pale face he took her hand into his own and said, "I think it would be best if you stayed with me tonight, okay?"

Toshiro looked back at him and nodded in agreement knowing that his house was the only place that was going to feel safe to her. She gripped onto Sasuke's arm and had no intention of letting go and she didn't until they safely arrived on his front porch.

She was eager to get inside and she just stood in the hallway, biting the inside of her upper lip. Toshiro looked down the hall and her eyes instantly found the bathroom and she turned and slowly started walking towards it. Sasuke was about to let her go but at Toshiro's strange behavior he gently grabbed her right arm and pulled her back. "What is it with you? What could he have done to make you act this way around me?"

Toshiro opened her mouth but she closed it suddenly and looked away from him. Sasuke lowered his gaze as well and his eyes found a fresh pool of blood on the floor. He jerked his hand back and he looked at it. "Your… your arm is bleeding."

She looked at her wound and then at Sasuke's hand which was shining a brilliant red. She looked down and gently touched her arm. "Oh. I didn't notice it before. I'd better go and take care of it then," she said as an excuse and once again made her way to the bathroom.

With once disturbing look in the mirror Toshiro washed the blood off of her face and arms in the sink and she inspected her bleeding arm again. With a sigh she opened a cabinet and pulled out a small medical kit. She sat down with her back against the wall and slowly pulled out a cotton ball and a small brown bottle of rubbing alcohol.

Sasuke walked in a few seconds after and stood in the doorway watching her. He was as still as a statue for barely an instant and he walked in and sat next to her. "Here, let me do it."

"No, I've got it." She poured some of the alcohol onto the cotton ball and gasped a little when it came in contact with the gash in her arm.

Sasuke took the cotton ball out of her hand and was still for a minute or so as he watched to see if she would protest. To his surprise she let him take care of her arm and she was careful to avoid all eye contact. Every now and then Toshiro flinched but she tried her hardest not to show it. Sasuke got on his feet the second he was done and he held back his prying question. He rinsed his hands off with the water from the faucet and he glanced down at his bloody shirt. "I'll be back in a minute alright?"

Toshiro nodded and looked once again at herself in the mirror as he left. Unsurprisingly, Itachi's shocking action was the first thing on her mind. "That was completely uncalled for," she muttered to herself in a quiet voice. _'And the worst thing is that I'm not even dead yet!_' She glowered at the floor but her expression disappeared as something else came across her mind. _'How am I going to tell Sasuke? It'll leave him scarred…almost even as much as I have been.'_

Her stare flicked upward and her eyes found her toothbrush from when she had last stayed over. She pulled it off the shelf and squeezed a rather large amount of toothpaste onto the bristles.

When Sasuke came back a couple minutes later he found his newly opened container of mouthwash half empty and Toshiro was currently using the toothpaste. "Knock yourself out, why don't you."

She jumped an inch when he had first said this but after giving him a look for sneaking up on her she went back to the mirror and gave her teeth her full and undivided attention.

Sasuke watched her for awhile and after a minute or so he couldn't hold it back any longer. "What's wrong with you? I'm not going to let you worm your way out of it this time."

Toshiro rinsed her mouth out and put her toothbrush away and still refused eye contact. She walked over to him and tried to move past him but he put his arm out to his side and didn't let her by. "Please, let me by," she pleaded. "I need to go change into something else. Look, I'm covered in blood."

"No, not until you tell me what happened before I got there. What did he do?"

Toshiro stopped in front to him and her eyes remained on the ground. "I'd rather not say what transpired back there. Now let me by. Please, don't make me tell you what happened."

"I need to know. Tell me what he did."

"Why?" she asked in a rather loud voice. "So you can go back and tear his body to shreds for me? It wouldn't help anything! It wouldn't take back what he did to me! It wouldn't heal the fresh and gushing emotional wounds that will stay with me for the rest of eternity!" Tears rimmed her eyes and her anger was replaced suddenly by fear. Sasuke's curiosity was spiked and Toshiro could see it in his eyes. "Please…" she begged with tears falling from her eyes, "Please... don't make me tell you… you won't ever look at me the same way again… Sasuke please…"

He was quiet for a little while but Toshiro knew his persistence wouldn't leave her be. "Nothing would ever do that," he promised. "Nothing could make me see you any differently. Nothing."

Toshiro shook her head and tried to push her way out the door. "I'm not going to tell you anything. Stop trying to force it out of me." Truthfully, she was coming really close to telling him everything.

He just stood there and he didn't move at all. Toshiro's frustration was growing to hide the fear of how he would react once he found out. Sasuke obviously wasn't aware of the seriousness of what he was trying to find out and he continued to ask. "Just tell me and I'll stop asking. What did Itachi do to you?"

Toshiro tried to hold it in but she blew her lid and shouted, "Your brother stuck his tongue in my mouth! Happy?! Now let me by!" She turned beet red at the loud volume her voice had risen to and she looked at the ground.

Sasuke's face turned pale almost instantly and he moved from the doorway. Toshiro hurriedly rushed past him and ran into his room to change. Sasuke fell against the wall and just stayed there with her words still ringing through his mind.

'…_Itachi… you… you violated her… you actually had the nerve to do something that uncalled for. You tried to kill her when she did absolutely nothing to you or Izunami! Yet you drove her to the brink of Death only to enter yourself!'_ Sasuke walked solemnly into the living room and he plopped down on the couch with a sigh.

Toshiro slowly came out of his room maybe five minutes later. She looked at him with sadness in her eyes and she said, "See? I told you that you would change back and you'd not see me the same way."

Sasuke looked up at her and said, "It's not you, but him. I know he belonged in an asylum from the very beginning, but this… it's not in his nature… not this…"

Toshiro sat down and leaned up against him. "At least you're not mad at me."

He shook his head. "No… I could never get mad at you." He narrowed his eyes and glared at the ground. "I swear… if there was any way to bring him back, I would just so I could kill him again."

She grabbed his arm suddenly and made him look her in the face. "Just leave him be. He's not around anymore to make things worse for the both of us. Besides, I'm really the cause of his action. I angered him when perhaps I shouldn't have."

"What did you say to him?"

Toshiro carefully thought back and the conversation came to mind. "He didn't believe me when I told him that Izunami had been killed by his trap and that she had jumped out in front of the kunai to save me. Then I told him that they were the complete opposite and that he didn't have a single shred of decency in him at all." She looked at the ground and shook her head. "And as stupid as I was, I had to go and tell him that the only reason Izunami fell in love with him was because she pitied him… just because she pitied him."

Sasuke looked up with surprise clear on his face. "You said that to him? Who wouldn't be upset? I know I'd be if someone ever said that to me about you."

Toshiro nodded and sighed. "I know I shouldn't have… now. But, let's not worry about this anymore. Itachi is dead, _for sure_. We shouldn't dwindle on the past, and instead look ahead to the future."

"I know," he muttered, "But, what he did to you… it… it's hard to accept that he would do something like that to you." He narrowed his eyes at the ground and he stood up.

Toshiro took hold of his hand and pulled him back down next to her. "Please, stop beating yourself up about this. It wasn't your fault, Sasuke." She looked down at the ground and a small smirk came to her face. "You should just let this go. It's not like anything is going to come of it. Besides…"

Sasuke sat back down next to her but his mood hadn't changed at all. "Besides what?"

Toshiro smiled a little wider and she kissed him. All his emotions were washed away at her touch and he just about melted into the couch. She pulled back a little, still smiling, and she said, "… I prefer your kisses anyway."

A smile spread itself across his face and Toshiro hugged him again. Sasuke looked over her shoulder and out the window and thought about how many other dangers could possibly be lurking just outside. He closed his eyes and a second later he came to a decision.

Toshiro let go of him and noticed the weird look in his eye. "What're you thinking?"

Sasuke stared into her eyes for a couple seconds and he sealed his decision in stone. He smirked and shook his head. "You don't need to know, not just yet. You'll find out soon enough."

A/N: So? How was it? Sorry to the few of you who grossed out and weren't hungry for the next few days. But you can say nothing because I warned you!! Now, only a single chapter remains. I have mixed emotions on the matter. I love the story, don't get me wrong, but, I'll miss the late nights I spent staring at the cealing and contemplating what was to happen next. I got so bored sometimes that I'd just write ideas for the story that would never work out anyway. Trust me, my binder is FULL of paper. Well, I think you'll like the final chapter. Oh! And I've finished the prequel for this story too!! It's of Toshiro and Sasuke laying eyes on each other for the first time. That'll come out later though. So, review, review, review!!


	21. An Eternal Gift

Chapter 21

A bird chirped up high in a nearby tree and rushing water sounded off far in the forest. In the long grass lay a young woman with long black hair and sparkling emerald eyes that were gazing off into the orange sky.

She had just turned 21 on this 15th day of May. Friends of hers had thrown a secret surprise party for her and had given her all her presents, all but one. This puzzled her for he was her closest friend, well, boyfriend. He had apologized and promised to meet her here and give it to her, and then he walked off with a thoughtful expression on his face.

'_I wonder what he's going to give me. Hopefully he didn't go all out on a gift. It's just my birthday.'_ She propped herself up and looked into the slowly setting sun.

A few minutes later she heard someone walk up behind her and stand there. She looked up over her shoulder and smiled. "There you are, Sasuke."

He smiled back at her as he sat down beside her. "Sorry it took me so long, Toshiro."

She shrugged and hugged him. "Don't worry about it. You're here now." She let go of him and looked off into the sunset. "So, why did you want me to meet you all the way out here?"

"Well, I just wanted to be away from the hustle of the village when I gave you your present, that's all." Sasuke looked at the ground and away from her, something obviously on him mind.

Toshiro let go of him and leaned against him as they watched the sun sink below the horizon. "Oh, well, this _is_ a good setting. I appreciate it. But it's been bothering me all day. What _did_ you get me?"

He hesitated for a second or two and sighed. "Fine, but first close your eyes." She did and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black box.

"Oh come on, what is it?"

Sasuke looked at her and could see impatience on her face and he placed the box in her hands. Toshiro opened her eyes and a smile spread itself across her face. "Oh Sasuke, you didn't have to go to such an extent for a birthday present."

"I think you were well worth it. Open it."

She gasped and hugged him as she opened it. "You shouldn't have!" It was a ring, not expensive or elaborate, but simple in design and made with what looked to be gold. "This is the best gift I've ever gotten!"

She took another look at the ring and smiled. "Oh, but the best is yet to come," he said with a smile.

He grabbed her hand and her eyes looked into his. "I've been waiting for this for the longest time. I almost lost you awhile back, and I still haven't forgiven myself. I'm not going to take that chance again. I always want to be there to protect you, and I love you more than anything else in the world, and… and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Toshiro gasped and smiled at his words and he continued. "So all I have left for you is a question. Will… will you marry me?"

Toshiro was quiet and all they could hear was the sound of the spring air blowing through the trees. "I…" She swallowed and she could feel her limbs shaking. A surge of confidence suddenly swept through her and a smile came to her face. "…of course I will!"

Sasuke was quiet and he let her words seep into him. He smiled after a minute and Toshiro was in tears, but they were ones of joy. He wasn't sure what to feel and he sort of looked emotionless as he looked into the last few rays that were slowly sinking behind the horizon. Toshiro put her hand on his and her smile faded away. "What's wrong Sasuke?"

He slowly turned back to her and he had a wide smile on his face. "Nothing's wrong, Toshiro. It… it's just… you don't know how thrilled I am that you said yes."

Her smile returned and she flung herself into his arms. "I've been waiting for what seems like an eternity to hear you ask me that. I'm so glad you waited until now… until the setting of my 21st birthday. The sun makes the perfect background." Toshiro was swelling with happiness and her voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't believe I was lucky enough to wind up with you of all people… my happiness in indescribable… I'm the luckiest person in the world."

Sasuke hugged her back and looked off into the sun. Everything that'd ever happened to them ran through his mind and he knew all the times he had saved her, every time he'd almost died trying to save her, it had all been well worth it. They'd met as toddlers, had been separated at eight, and reunited as teens and had been together ever since, and forever to come.

A/N: (silence as she stares at the computer screen) Wow... I... it's over... it's finally over. I feel funny. So, onward with the prequel and possible sequel!! ;) I couln't stop, but do you blame me? Toshiro and Sasuke make such a good pair, don't you agree? I loved this chapter!! "...reunited as teens and had been together ever since, and forever to come." Most certainly. They met as toddlers... and that's exctly what the prequel is! It'll be a oneshot thing, but it's kind of sad too. Keep in touch all of you, so you can read it when it comes out in a couple weeks or so. Reviews, please?


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